The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Thursday disqualified parliamentarians holding dual citizenships under Article-36-1C of the Constitution.
It should be mentioned that the apex court Wednesday reserved judgment regarding the parliamentarians whose memberships have been suspended for holding dual citizenship.
The 11 members of the Parliament include Farah Naz Isfahani, Zahid Iqbal, Farhat Mehmood Khan, Jameel Malik, Muhammed Akhlaq, Ashraf Chauhan, Nadia Gabol, Wasim Qadir, Nadeem Khadim, Amina Buttar and Ahmed Ali shah.
The disqualified members include two from the Sindh Assembly and five from the Punjab Assembly.
The three-member bench of the Supreme Court, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Mohammad Choudhry, in its order ruled that the Federal Interior Minister Rehman A. Malik misstated in his declaration submitted in 2008 and hence he is no more ‘sadiq and ameen’ (honest and trustworthy). The court directed the Election Commission of Pakistan to take action against Malik under article 63(P) of the constitution.
The SC order said all the members of the Parliament come under Article-62 and 63 of the Constitution.
The apex court said the criminal cases be instituted against these lawmakers on the ground they misstated before the court. Also, their salaries and perks and privileges be withdrawn from them, according to the order.
The apex court ordered the concerned speakers and Senate Chairman to ascertain the culpability of these lawmakers.
Later talking to the media, Malik said that he accepts the order of the court.
However, his counsel, Anwar Mansoor Khan, said that Supreme Court has separated his Malik’s case from the rest. He said the court has referred Malik’s case to the chiarman Senate.
Khan asserted that Malik continues to remain member of the parliament and the minister.
it si job of Election Commission of pakistan NOt of CJ, these so called CJ and 2-3 collegues are biased…is this Justice ?
and if EC is failed to carry out its proper checks then SC can always correct them!
It is shame for this country that its ‘representatives’ told lies to people and its institutions about their own qualifications but they claim to ‘represent’ them and the country. They are habitual of misleading the people, courts, and State’s institutions. They are not honest and transparent in their own words. Dr Ahmad Rashid Malik – Islamabad.
It is ironical that many convicted and criminals are elected as law-makers.
So convicted and criminals are making national laws
Parliamentarians or the law makers with dual nationality have been kicked out on the pretext that they have taken oath of allegiance "loyalty" with another country is a very poor argument. This decision is based on the presumption that the loyalty of dual citizenship members is doubtful, which implies that people with just the citizenship of Pakistan are most loyal. Yet many of those so called loyal and patriotic have robbed this country left and right. Many of them under oath have been part of crime syndicate.
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