SC to decide fate of Nawaz, Tareen under Article 62 today

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ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan will announce its verdict pertaining to duration of disqualification of a parliamentarian under Article 62(1)(f) of the Constitution today (Friday).

The verdict will be announced at 11am. On February 14, the apex court had reserved its decision in the case to determine the time-period that elected lawmakers will remain disqualified for.

A five-member larger bench, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Mian Saqib Nisar, had reserved the verdict while hearing several petitions to determine the time-period a lawmaker would remain disqualified for after being de-seated in violation of Article 62(1)(f) and other election laws.

During the hearing, the court had observed that the disqualification will continue for as long as the declaration [signed by electoral candidates declaring them honest] holds, adding that the 18th Amendment, passed in 2010, did not determine a time period for disqualification.

At an earlier hearing on February 8, the chief justice had also acknowledged the ambiguity of Article 62(1)(f) of the Constitution.

Article 62(1)(f) reads: “A person shall not be qualified to be elected or chosen as a member of Majlis-e-Shoora (Parliament) unless-…he is sagacious, righteous and non-profligate, honest and ameen, there being no declaration to the contrary by a court of law.”

The judgment would have consequences for disqualified lawmakers, especially Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader Jahangir Tareen and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif.