Disqualification case: ECP reserves verdict in petition against Faisal Vawda

Islamabad: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Thursday reserved its verdict on a petition seeking disqualification of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Senator Faisal Vawda.

According to details, a three-member ECP bench reserved the verdict on applications seeking disqualification of Vawda over allegedly concealing information about his dual nationality.

The ECP reserved its decision over the plea filed by PPP leader Qadir Khan Mandokhel, however, bench threw out the other petition, also seeking his disqualification, because of non-perusal of the case. 

During the hearing, Qadir Mandokhel, the petitioner, said that this was the 23rd hearing of the case. “The election commission has been seeking answers from the senator for the past one and a half years, which he has not submitted as yet,” he regretted. 

Mandokhel argued that the returning officer’s (RO) judgment in 2018 on the PTI senator’s dual citizenship was flawed. “Instead of rejecting Vawda’s nomination papers, the RO rejected my papers,” he said. 

On the other hand, PTI senator’s counsel Barrister Moeed submitted to the election commission Vawda’s birth certificate with the documents of passport cancellation.

Faisal Vawda argued that the dual nationality holder is issued a National Identity Card for Overseas Pakistanis (NICOP); however in 2018, NADRA suspended his NICOP and issued him normal CNIC.

PTI Senator also presented a NADRA certificate showing that he is a Pakistani citizen. 

Later, the chief election commissioner (CEC) reserved the decision following the completion of petitioner’s arguments, adding that the ECP was in no mood to give further time to Vawda to submit his reply in the case.