Court orders: PML-N’s dual-national MNA Jamil Malik suspended

SC seeks petition against Shaukat Aziz, Pervez Musharraf.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday suspended the membership of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz MNA Muhammad Jamil Malik for holding a dual nationality.

A three-member bench, headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, was hearing cases pertaining to dual nationalities of assembly members. MNA Malik holds a Dutch nationality in addition to being a Pakistani.

“Whether the number of dual nationality holders is two or 10, the court has to focus on the public interest,” said the chief justice. At this point, the  counsel for Adviser to the Prime Minister on Interior Affairs Rehman Malik contended that former prime minister Shaukat Aziz was also a dual national.

“Why do you show an American businessman the way to come to Pakistan and become the prime minister?” said the chief justice in response, while Justice Jawwad S Khawaja said: “File a petition, we will issue notices to Shaukat Aziz and [former military ruler] Pervez Musharraf as well.”

Malik also failed to present documents proving the renouncement of his British nationality, before the Supreme Court. His counsel Anwar Mansoor Khan told the bench that the Supreme Court is not the forum for him to present documents proving his client innocent, adding that it was the exclusive jurisdiction of parliament, the National Assembly speaker and the Senate chairman.

Chaudhry said that it was the domain of the Supreme Court to interpret the Constitution, while amendments are the task of parliament.

The case was adjourned till Wednesday (today).

Published in The Express Tribune, July 4^th, 2012.