The verdict of the top court is seen as a major setback for Sharif’s political career, which is the head of the country’s most influential political family.
Islamabad: Pakistan’s Supreme Court, disqualified him as the head of the party on Wednesday, giving a major setback to the political career of deposed Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and abolishing all decisions taken by him as party chief. Sharif (68) was disqualified from the top court in Article 22 of the Constitution in the Panama Paper case in July last year. Because of this, he had to lose the post of Prime Minister. The verdict of the top court is seen as a major setback for Sharif’s political career, which is the head of the country’s most influential political family.
Dawn reported that a three-member bench, headed by Chief Justice Sakib Nisar, said that it is necessary for a party chief to fulfill the requirements under Article 62 and 63 of the Constitution. The bench gave the order, a party head should have the qualifications necessary and should be free from disqualification under Article 62 and 63 of the Constitution.
The Chief Justice said, it is important for MPs to have good conduct for running the Parliament. After Sharif was disqualified for the prime minister’s post last year, the ruling PML-N had amended the Constitution so that he could again become the president of the party. As a result, the Election Law was passed by the Parliament of 2017. This led to the way of becoming Sharif’s party chief. After being declared disqualified by the apex court earlier, Sharif had resigned as the president of the party. Under the old law, any person, who was disqualified for public office, could not remain the head of any political party.
Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf, Awami Muslim League, PPP and others filed a petition in the apex court against the Election Law 2017. Following the election law passed in the last year 2017, after the disqualification of Sharif for public office, the path of becoming the head of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has spread. The apex court started hearing in January 2018. Judge Nissar said that the person who has been declared disqualified under Article 62 and 63 of the Constitution does not have the right to sign the necessary documents for nominating someone for the National Assembly or the Senate.
Chief Justice Nissar said that the Election Commission is instructed to remove Nawaz Sharif’s name as PML-N chief from all concerned records. The court declared all decisions taken by Sharif, including the tickets issued for Senate elections, were also invalid. There is a possibility that the Senate elections to be held on March 3 will be postponed due to this decision. Referring to the speech by Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shahid Khakon Abbasi in parliament on Monday, the Chief Justice said that the judiciary has never called any leader a thief. Abbasi, while criticizing the judiciary in his speech, said that he is being dishonored by the elected officials.
