IHC reserves verdict on Faisal Vawda's petition against lifetime disqualification

Islamabad: Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday has reserved its verdict on Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Faisal Vawda’s plea challenging Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) verdict over his lifetime disqualification.

During the hearing, IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah heard the plea of PTI leader Faisal Vawda over his lifeime disqualification by the election governing body for concealing his dual nationality.

In his petition, Faisal Vawda pleaded to the court to declare the Election Commission of Pakistan’s Feb 09 decision as null and void. 

Faisal Vawda’s counsel Waseem Sajjad appeared before the high court bench. 

Advocate Waseem Sajjad argued that ECP is not court of law, therefore, the high court should annul its judgment. My client didn’t lie in affidavit deliberately.

Meanwhile, IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah asked the lawyer about last date of affidavit submission over which, the Waseem Sajjad told that Faisal Vawda had submitted his affidavit on June 11, 2018.

The court asked the plaintiff’s counsel to present facts why they are not accepting the decision of ECP.  

Previously, Faisal Vawda had challenged ECP’s verdict of disqualifying him for life in IHC.

The former senator, in his petition, stated that the election commission has no jurisdiction to take disqualification decision. The judgment of ECP has no legal status, he mentioned.

On Wednesday, the ruling party’s Senator Faisal Vawda was disqualified for lifetime under Article 62(1)(f) of the Constitution.

ECP had disqualified Faisal Vawda for life over concealing his dual nationality at the time of participating in the National Assembly election on a Karachi seat during 2018 General Elections.

A three-member bench headed by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja announced its reserved verdict, directing the PTI leader to return the salary and other benefits he had received as a member of NA (MNA) within two months.

The commission had also declared the vote which Vawda had cast in the Senate elections on March 10 as MNA "invalid". Vawda had submitted a false affidavit with his nomination papers, ECP stated.