ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) ruled on Monday that Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani is eligible to assume the position of acting president in absence of the president of Pakistan.
Justice Aamir Farooq of the IHC announced the verdict on a petition filed by a citizen, Afzal Shanwari who questioned Sanjrani’s eligibility as acting president.
The petitioner through his counsel had contended before the court that Sanjrani was not eligible to assume the office of acting president under Article 49 of the Constitution. He said the minimum age of the president is 45 years under the Article but the incumbent Senate chairman has still not reached this age.
Therefore, the petitioner said, Sanjrani doesn’t meet this criterion and pleaded to the court to stop him from discharging his responsibilities as acting president in the absence of the president.
After hearing the arguments, the bench had reserved its judgment on the petition in December last year.
Backed by the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and other parties, Sanjrani was elected as Senate chairman on March 13, 2018, through secret balloting by securing 57 votes against the then ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) candidate Raja Zafarul Haq, who managed to bag 46 votes
Born on April 14, 1978, Sadiq Sanjrani, 40, is youngest-ever head of the country’s upper house of Parliament.
