Dar suffering discomfort in left arm, chest: SC told

Medical report recommends physiotherapy for Dar before considering surgical options

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) was informed on Monday that former finance minister Ishaq Dar has been suffering discomfort in his left arm and chest due to an ailment effecting his neck.

A medical report stating the aforementioned was submitted by Dar’s counsel to a three-judge bench, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar, over a plea challenging the Lahore High Court’s (LHC) verdict allowing Dar to contest Senate elections.

In the report, the doctor states that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader was at a stage where he may have to seriously consider surgical options. The report recommended physiotherapy for the former finance minister.

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.

On March 9, the LHC decision to allow Dar to contest the Senate elections was challenged in the SC by Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) candidate Nawazish Pirzada.



The petition contended 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,” it states. “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.