Petition filed in SC against Nawaz, Tareen’s lifetime disqualification


ISLAMABAD, Jan 27 (SABAH): A constitutional petition on Thursday has been filed against lifetime disqualification of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Quaid and former prime minister Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) senior leader Sardar Jahangir Khan Tareen in Supreme Court of Pakistan.

According to details, the plea was filed by Supreme Court Bar Association of Pakistan (SCBA) President Chaudhry Muhammad Ahsan Bhoon Advocate.

The claimant mentioned in his petition that the apex court cannot perform duties as trial court. Not giving right to appeal against court’s judgment is against the principles of justice, the plaintiff stated.

It has been argued in the petition that the principle of lifetime disqualification should only be exercised in election disputes, adding that the Supreme Court cannot perform duties as trial court under Article 184/3. It has been further argued in the constitutional petition that without giving right of appeal against the court verdict is against the principles of justice and basic rights, adding that the lifetime disqualification without giving the right of appeal is also the violation of the rights of the voters. The petition says the Supreme Court in court verdicts has settled the parameters of the Article 62 (1)(f).

SCBA President Muhammad Ahsan Bhoon has argued that only the election challenged under Article 62 (1)(f) should be declared null and void.

On 28th July 2017, SC disqualified then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in connection with Panama Papers case under Article 62 and directed Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to issue notification in this regard.

The five-judge larger bench of the SC headed by Justice Asif Saeed Khan Khosa and comprising Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan, Justice Gulzar Ahmed, Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed and Justice Ijazul Ahsan unanimously announced the decision in courtroom No 1.

Meanwhile announcing the verdict on PML-N leader Muhammad Hanif Abbasi’s petitions, the SC had disqualified PTI leader Jahangir Tareen for life under Article 62 (1) (F) of the Constitution of Pakistan, stating that the reply submitted by Tareen was a confession in itself.

Hanif Abbasi had filed a petition, accusing the PTI leaders Imran Khan and Jahangir Tareen of not declaring their assets to the ECP and violating the lncome Tax Ordinance, 1979, and Peoples Act, 1974.