Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister (FM) Khawaja Asif on Thursday announced that he will be challenging Islamabad High Court’s (IHC) verdict of his disqualification in the Supreme Court (SC).

Earlier today, IHC had announced its verdict, disqualifying Asif for life on grounds of holding Iqama (foreign work permit) of United Arab under Article 62(1)(f) of the Constitution.

IHC ruled that Asif was not qualified to contest general elections of 2013 from NA-110, Sialkot as he fails to fulfill the criteria of Sadiq and Ameen stated under Article 62(1)(f) of the constitution read with section 99(1)(f) of the 1967 Act.

The Act rules out that Asif does not qualify for holding any public or party office for life.

Foreign Minister in a conversation with the media claimed that he had declared all his assets since the very start of his political career, including the Iqama. Asif affirmed that he had declared the Iqama to the Election Commission of Pakistan.

Earlier, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Usman Dar had filed a petition against Asif after he had lost general elections 2013 to Asif in NA-110 constituency. Dar had challenged Asif’s charge of office under the Unlimited Term Employment Contract between Asif and International Mechanical and Electrical Co (IMECO), an Abu Dhabi based company.

The petition said that Foreign Minister Asif had already been in contract with the IMECO since 2011, holding various positions with a receivable salary of AED 35000 along with AED15000 monthly allowance. Dar’s petition had alleged that Asif had been receiving his salary from IMECO as well as the Foreign Minister of Pakistan.