ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Monday moved a reference in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) seeking the disqualification of former president and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari.
Earlier, similar petitions were filed against Zardari in the Supreme Court (SC) and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) but they both had been returned.
The reference in the apex court was filed by PTI’s Member of Sindh Assembly Khurram Sher Zaman and PM’s Special Assistant on Youth Affairs Usman Dar, who cited the former president, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and National Assembly (NA) secretary as respondents.
Dar hoped that the court would hear the petition soon and claimed that he was “confident of winning the case,” however, the registrar had raised reservations and directed him to approach the relevant forum.
Following SC’s reservations, the PTI moved the IHC seeking disqualification of the former president.
Zardari, ECP and National Assembly secretary have been made respondents in the petition filed by PTI leaders Usman Dar and Khurram Sher Zaman.
The petitioners alleged that Zardari concealed details pertaining to ownership of an apartment in New York City, United States, in the nomination papers filed ahead of the general elections. He also failed to disclose two bulletproof vehicles, thus violating Article 62(f)(i) of the Constitution and Section 231 of the Election Act 2017, they maintained.
They alleged that both the apartment and the armoured vehicles were not disclosed in Form B of the nomination papers filed by Zardari on July 6 2018, as a candidate for NA-213.
“Zardari occupies more than one office apart from co-chairing PPP, he is also president of Pakistan People’s Party Parliamentarians (PPPP) which was a violation of Article 63 (a) of the Constitution” they added.
The PTI leaders also argued that Zardari’s alleged involvement in the money laundering of billions of rupees through fictitious bank accounts is also a ground for his disqualification.
Zardari was elected MNA from NA-213 seat during the July 25 general election and is not qualified to be a member of the National Assembly, the petition added.
Asserting that he will not speak any further as the matter is now sub-judice, Zaman stated that “it is a very big case with conclusive evidence as Zardari holds undeclared property worth billions of rupees”.
On December 21, Zaman had moved a reference in the Sindh office of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) seeking the disqualification of former president Zardari for not declaring an apartment that he owns in the United States in his nomination papers for 2018 general elections.
However, later he withdrew the reference on the grounds that he wanted to “move the SC against the PPP co-chairman,” adding that “we have come across evidence that we will only present before a top forum”.
