ECP submits Vawda’s record on nomination papers in IHC

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has submitted Federal Minister for Water Resources Faisal Vawda’s record of nomination papers and affidavit in respect of dual nationality in the Islamabad High Court (IHC).

The PTI lawmaker is accused of being a dual national at the time of his election to the National Assembly in July 2018.

On Wednesday, Justice Aamir Farooq of the IHC heard the disqualification case against Vawda.

The ECP’s counsel submitted the record of Vawda’s nomination papers in the court.

Vawda’s lawyer informed the IHC that four applications were also being heard on the matter in the ECP.

He requested the court to stop proceedings in the case until a final decision on those pleas was announced.

Justice Farooq questioned Vawda’s counsel whether a reply against the court’s order had been filed and why the ECP order sheets were not appended with the application.

The judge expressed his displeasure and asked the PTI lawmaker’s counsel “not to play hide and seek with the court”.

“You are also not appearing before election commission,” he said.

The IHC said that according to the ECP record, the affidavit declaring that Vawda was not a dual national was submitted on June 11, 2018 while the application to renounce the citizenship was approved on June 25, which meant that he was a dual national at the time of submission of the declaration.

On Vawda’s counsel objection over the authentication of the document, the court remarked that several notices had been issued to them so that they submit their reply.

Justice Farooq pointed out that Vawda in his affidavit had mentioned that he did not hold a foreign nationality nor had he ever applied for one.

“You are entering a closed alley. Do you want the court to summon your client?” the judge asked.

On the request to stop the proceedings, the court adjourned the hearing of the case until November 12.

According to the law, dual nationals are not allowed to contest elections unless they surrender their secondary nationality. The Supreme Court had in 2018 disqualified two legislators, Haroon Akhtar and Saadia Abbasi, for holding dual nationalities at the time of filing papers to the ECP.

Both the members were disqualified under Article 63(1)(c) of the Constitution, which says that a person will be disqualified from being elected or chosen member of parliament if he ceases to be a citizen of Pakistan or acquires the citizenship of a foreign state.