Former interior minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan’s incessant failure to take oath in the Punjab Assembly was challenged in the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Saturday. Nisar contested the 2018 general elections from two NA and two provincial seats, losing all but from the PA-10 constituency. He has, however, not taken his oath – a development that has been challenged in the high court. The petition, filed by Advocate Nadeem Sarvar on behalf of Advocate Mian Asif Mahmood, prays the court to direct the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to de-notify Nisar for his failure to take oath, and also pleaded the court to order the federal and Punjab governments to amend the relevant laws and introduce a time frame for lawmakers-elect to take their oath. The petitioner claimed that Nisar’s decision to not take his oath was a violation of the law of people’s representation. Furthermore, the petition states that Nisar’s failure to take oath was not only an insult to the voters but also a violation of the Article 2A, 17 and 25 of the Constitution.
Published in Daily Times, January 27th 2019.