ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Tuesday reserved its decision on a plea seeking the disqualification of Awami Muslim League chief Sheikh Rasheed. The petition, filed by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Shakeel Awan, who lost the 2013 general election to Rasheed, claims that the lawmaker from NA-55 mis-declared his assets in the nomination papers and owned the error as well. Awan’s counsel argued before the three-member bench that according to the Representation of People’s Act, it is necessary to accurately declare all of one’s assets before contesting elections. He asserted that the most recent court case regarding the wrong filling of nomination papers is the 2017 Panama Papers judgment. Rasheed’s counsel contended that his client did not conceal anything, while accepting that his client owned the mistake in valuing his assets. During the hearing, Justice Qazi Faez Isa remarked that according to the petitioner, the lawmaker should be disqualified whatever the error he has committed. The question is whether a lawmaker stands disqualified if it is proved that he or she committed an error while filling the nomination papers, observed Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed, who headed the bench. Justice Isa remarked that if this is the case, the Panama case was about the London flats but the prime minister was disqualified over an iqama. He also asked where in the Panama judgment it was declared that whatever the mistake, the punishment should be disqualification. He observed that it has become difficult to contest elections in Pakistan and to fill out the nomination papers. Justice Isa also questioned whether Panamagate verdict has laid down a principle on strict liability. “If it has been done then identify it,” he asked the counsel for the petitioner. He also questioned whether Panamagate verdict will be applicable in future cases. He added that the SC doesn’t give verdicts on mistakes, whether someone admits their error pertaining to details in the nomination papers or not. “If we raise a finger on someone, four different fingers are pointed towards us,” he remarked. The judgment was then reserved and will be announced at a later date. Published in Daily Times, March 21st 2018.