Apex court dismisses plea seeking disqualification of Muhammad Ishaq Dar

ISLAMABAD, Dec 21 (SABAH): Supreme Court of Pakistan on Tuesday has dismissed the plea seeking disqualification of former finance minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar over not following the matter.

During the hearing, three-member bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Gulzar Ahmed and comprising Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Justice Munib Akhtar has also lifted the restraining order to stop the notification of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader’s membership as a senator.

As per the ordinance, the seat of the one who won’t take oath within two months will be considered as vacant.

During the hearing, Justice Ijazul Ahsan said petitioner Nawazish Ali Peerzada Advocate failed to appear before the court, whereas Ishaq Dar has also been a no-show since the start of the proceedings. Therefore, the court was dismissing the petition.

After Tuesday’s ruling, the notification for Dar’s victory will be issued and he will be bound to take oath within 60 days as per the new ordinance issued by the government earlier this year.

In 2018, the apex court had suspended the notification of Dar’s election through its order dated May 8. However, the SC order barring him to take the oath was also withdrawn along with the dismissal of the plea.

Dar was elected as a senator on a technocrat seat from Punjab in 2018, but he didn’t take his oath owing to his stay in London on health grounds.

However, on May 8, 2018, a three-judge bench led by former chief justice Mian Saqib Nisar suspended his membership over his failure to appear in court despite repeated summons.

Subsequently, PML-N Senator Ishaq Dar, to avoid disqualification, had informed the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) that he was ready to take oath as a member of the upper house of parliament but the only hurdle in doing so was a Supreme Court suspension order of May 2018.