Verdict on all public office eligibility cases expected on March 9

Hearing Fawad Chaudhry's case, the court says it wants to lay focus on other petitions of public interest.

ISLAMABAD:

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) will announce a joint verdict on all petitions related to the eligibility of public office holders on March 9, including the case of Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry.

"The court will issue a verdict on all the petitions and it will decide it once and for all," the IHC said on Monday.

The court issued these remarks while hearing the case related to the eligibility of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's (PTI) leader. The court's registrar was subsequently directed to gather the pending applications.

During the proceeding, Chief Justice Athar Minallah said, "the court abstains from interfering in cases of political nature," and added, "dragging the court into political matters causes harm to it".

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The senior judge further observed that "declaring a public office holder ineligible also causes harm to the people of that constituency".

"[Even] if people elect the wrong representatives, matters relating to the eligibility and ineligibility should be decided outside the court."

Speaking on the occasion, the minister said, "it is a classic case of blackmailing and the court should save us from it." He also asked the court to dismiss the petition and impose a fine on the petitioner.