The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Monday issued notice to the federal law officer to respond on petition seeking disqualification of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Interior Minister Chaudhary Nisar Ali Khan for allegedly making false statement on the floor of National Assembly.
A division bench headed by Justice Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi was hearing a petition filed by Moulvi Iqbal Hiader and Maqsood Ahmed naming the secretary law, justice and parliamentary affairs ministry, premier, interior minister, director general ISPR, secretary National Assembly, secretary interior, deputy commissioner Islamabad and IG Islamabad as respondents.
In the petition, the court has been requested to declare that Nawaz Sharif and Chaudhry Nisar are disqualified under Article 62 and 63 of the constitution for speaking lies in National Assembly.
The petitioners submitted that earlier premier in meeting with Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Raheel Sharif had asked the latter to intervene in the political crisis in order to resolve it. When question regarding the COAS’s intervention was raised in the National Assembly, both the premier and the interior ministry distanced themselves from having asked for COAS’s arbitration, they added.
They told judges that the premier and the interior minister stated on the floor of assembly that the government did not ask army to play role in resolving political stalemate. Later, he said, ISPR issued a statement clarifying that the COAS was asked by the government to play facilitative role.
The petitioners said that Sharif and Nisar had no right to retain their offices as they were disqualified under Article 62 and 63 for speaking lies, adding that they were attempted to disgrace and defame the top security institution.
Hearing of case was adjourned till September 02.