Disqualification Limit Case: Supreme Court resumes hearing today

ISLAMABAD (92 News) – The Supreme Court of Pakistan (SC) on Wednesday (today) will resume hearing of the petitions related to the determination of time-period of disqualification under Article 62(1)(f) of the Constitution. The top court’s larger bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Justice Mian Saqib Nisar and comprises of Judges Justice Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Azmat Saeed Justice Sheikh, Justice Sajjad Ali Shah and Justice Ijazul Ahsan will take up the case. The apex had again issued notice to former premier Nawaz Sharif asking him to appear today. The Supreme Court had also issued a public notice asking any person including any voter or member or leader of any political party who may consider it likely to be affected by the decision of the court should appear before it. In the previous hearing, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leder Jahangir Tareen and his counsel Babar Awan appeared before the court, while neither ex-PM Nawaz Sharif nor his counsel appeared the top court. The court appointed Munir A Malik and Syed Ali Zaffar as amicus curiae in the case. The CJP remarked that the court wanted to give a chance to everyone so that no one would be able to say anything against the judiciary. The parliament had not amended Article 62 which meant that it also supported the clause. He said if disqualification were not for life then the victims had right to take part in elections.The court might announce ex-parte decision, though based on merit, if the individuals concerned did not attend the hearing, he added. The former premier was disqualified on July 28 last year in the Panama Papers case and being unable to declare his offshore accounts. Jahangir was disqualified on December 15 by the SC for not disclosing his offshore company.