Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Supreme Court (SC) on Friday nullified Islamabad High Court’s (IHC) lifetime disqualification verdict against former Foreign Minister (FM) Khwaja Asif.

Justice Umar Atta Bandial announced that PML-N leader is eligible to contest elections in the upcoming general elections.

Earlier today the SC had reserved its verdict on Kh Asif’s disqualification plea.

Justice Umar Atta Bandial heading a three-member bench comprising of Justice Faisal Arab and Justice Sajjad Ali Shah remarked that if a decision is reached, the verdict will be announced today.

Earlier Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) leader Khawaja Asif had challenged Islamabad High Court’s (IHC) April 27 verdict of lifetime disqualification in SC.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Usman Dar’s counsel had argued that Asif’s oath should be reviewed which was based on thinking beyond the gains of personal benefit while being in the federal cabinet.

Dar’s plea was based on Asif’s holding of a foreign work permit (Iqama) while he was serving as a minister in Pakistan.

Earlier on Thursday’s hearing Justice Umar Atta Bandial had observed that it was unfair to sabotaging a lawmaker’s political career just on the grounds that he/she did not quantify their assets though declared under the relevant law.

He added on that it was sufficient that the petitioner had disclosed his Iqama.

During the hearing the court established that Asif had disclosed a salary of AED9000 in his nomination papers but not in the box of nomination paper. Justice Bandial in light of the knowledge observed that it would be examined as to whether the facts were mentioned in the nomination papers or not.

The SC Judge noted that the issue at hand was of disqualification under Article 62(1)(f).

On April 27, the IHC disqualified Khawaja Asif under Article 62 (1) (f) of the constitution for failing to disclose a foreign work permit.

A three-member bench, headed by Justice Athar Minallah, had reserved verdict on Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Usman Dar’s plea on April 10.

The disqualified FM had announced to challenge IHC’s verdict in SC on April 26.

IHC had ruled that Asif did not qualify 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.