Faisal Vawda files petition in Supreme Court against lifetime disqualification

Islamabad: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) leader Faisal Vawda on Friday filed an appeal before the Supreme Court of Pakistan seeking nullification of the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) decision that disqualified him for life over dual nationality case.

According to details, the former senator approached the Supreme Court and —in his petition— he made the ECP and complainants against him respondents in the case.

The PTI leader filed his petition to the apex court through his lawyer Advocate Wasim Sajjad.

In his petition, Faisal Vawda argued that the election commission had no right to disqualify him from holding any public life for life. “The ECP is not a court of law which can declare somebody ineligible,” he opined.

Vawda went on to add that the IHC, too, dismissed his appeal against the ECP’s decision in haste. “Therefore, it is prayed to the honourable court to declare the election commission’s order null and void and reinstate me as a senator,” reads PTI leader’s petition.  

Only two days ago, on February 16, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) had dismissed a petition filed by Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) leader Faisal Vawda against his lifelong disqualification from holding any public office by the ECP, saying it was inadmissible for the hearing.

Chief Justice (CJ) Athar Minallah, on the occasion, asked Vawda’s counsel as to what should be the consequences of submitting a ‘fake’ affidavit. “The Supreme Court (SC), in its verdict, had gone one step ahead and said that criminal proceedings should be initiated in such a case,” he remarked.

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.