Ishaq Dar. PHOTO: REUTERS
The Supreme Court (SC) on Monday, issued a notice to former finance minister Ishaq Dar over a plea against the Lahore High Court's (LHC) verdict to allow his nomination papers for the Senate election.
The three-judge bench, headed by the Chief Justice Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar, questioned whether in the prevailing circumstances he would be eligible to contest elections.
The bench has granted leave and observed that the petitioner has raised important questions. Babar Sattar has been appointed amicus in this case. The hearing of the case is adjourned until March 21.
On March 9, the LHC decision to allow Dar to contest the Senate elections was challenged in the SC. The petition, moved by Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) candidate Nawazish Pirzada, requests the top court to suspend the LHC order.
LHC order allowing Dar to contest Senate election challenged in SC
On February 17, an appellate election tribunal of the LHC granted Dar permission to contest Senate election, setting aside an order of the returning officer (RO) who had rejected his nomination papers.
On March 3, the former finance minister won a Senate seat as a Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) backed independent candidate.
The petition contends that an absconder cannot contest elections.
“The apex court has categorically declared that a fugitive from law loses his normal rights granted under the substantive as well as procedural laws,” reads the petition.
“The impugned order may very kindly be set-aside, resultantly the nomination papers of the respondent no. 4 from the seat of Technocrat, province of Punjab, Senate Elections 2018, may very kindly be rejected and election of the respondent no. 4 may be declared void and set aside,” the petition reads further.
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