Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar. PHOTO: EXPRESS/FILE
ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court has issued notices to former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Jahangir Tareen to appear before the court in a matter related to the determination of time-period of disqualification under Article 62(1)(f) of the Constitution.
A five-judge larger bench of the apex court, headed by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar and comprising Justice Azmat Saeed Sheikh, Justice Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Ijaz ul Ahsan and Justice Sajjad Ali Shah, will take up 17 cases related to the disqualification of parliamentarians on January 30.
The larger bench will determine whether their disqualification under Article 62(1)(f) is perpetual.
The court has ordered the two leaders to appear in person or through counsel in the January 30 hearing.
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Legal experts believe that the proceedings on the matter will be significant because it will decide the fate of several parliamentarians, including Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief Sharif and Jahangir Tareen, who have been disqualified under the said article on the charges of concealing their assets in nomination papers as election candidates.
Lawyers believe these parliamentarians may get relief if the Supreme Court declares that disqualification under Article 62(1)(f) is time-specific.
SC larger bench to determine lifetime disqualification issue
They believe that the court should allow parliamentarians disqualified under Article 62(1)(f) of the Constitution to contest the elections and let the people decide about their future.
At present, former chief justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry’s judgments are in force, holding that disqualification under the article is for life.
However, some earlier verdicts did not envisage permanent disqualification.
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