Arguments sought on Election Act plea

Petitioner contends amendment reducing lifetime disqualification to just five years was made to serve vested interests

LAHORE:

Lahore High Court's (LHC) Justice Shahid Bilal Hassan has called for arguments on the maintainability of a plea challenging the recent amendment in the Election Act, which reduces the duration of lifetime disqualification to five years.

During the hearing, Justice Shahid Bilal presided over the case filed by petitioner Mashkoor Hussain, who named the Election Commission of Pakistan, federal government, and others as respondents. The petitioner contended that the amendment reducing the lifetime disqualification to just five years was made to serve vested interests.

He further argued that the Supreme Court had already provided its interpretation of Article 62f (1), making any subsequent amendment a violation of Section 3 of Article 175. Mashkoor Hussain urged the court to annul the amendment to the election act. In response, Justice Shahid Bilal also directed the petitioner's counsel to provide the judgment from the superior court.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 17^th, 2023.