SC dismisses petition requesting Alvi's removal

Justice Ahsan says presidential candidate endorser must be a member of the parliament

ISLAMABAD:

The Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed a petition filed seeking the disqualification of President Dr Arif Alvi.

A two-member bench headed by Justice Ijazul Ahsan heard the case. The petition, filed by Zahoor Mehdi, had requested that the apex court to reject the nomination papers of President Alvi.

According to the petitioner, the scrutiny of the president's nomination papers was not correct and Mehdi presented six objections regarding Alvi’s nomination papers.

He added that at the time of the presidential election, Alvi was an “under-trial accused” and was not eligible for the presidency.

Mehdi continued that his presidential election papers were rejected because he did not have an endorser.

Read Alvi urges bureaucracy to make fast decisions

He stated that the country was currently in crisis due to the appointment of an unqualified person as president, and political parties were at odds with each other.

Justice Ahsan remarked that what political parties are doing was not similar to his case.

He furthered that his nomination papers were not signed by an endorser and the constitutional requirement was that the endorser must be a member of the Majlis-e-Shura (Parliament).