Submits affidavit to SC: Shahbaz denies holding dual nationality

Punjab CM asks court to take action against Raja Riaz for ‘baseless allegations’.

ISLAMABAD:

Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif denied allegations on Tuesday of holding dual nationality and prayed for the disqualification of Punjab Assembly Opposition Leader Raja Riaz for misleading the people and the court by accusing him of the same.

The assertion was made through an affidavit submitted by the chief minister in the Supreme Court.

“…The allegations raised by Raja Riaz Ahmed, leader of the opposition in the Punjab Assembly, are malicious, false, frivolous, untrue, baseless and are worthy of being rejected with exemplary costs,” said the affidavit submitted by Advocate Mustafa Ramday.

“As per criterion laid down in the Constitution a person shall not be qualified to be elected or chosen as a member of Majlis-e-Shoora (Parliament) unless- 62(1)(f): “he is sagacious, righteous and non-profligate, honest and ameen, there being no declaration to the contrary by a court of law.”

While denying the allegations, Shahbaz said he had not even opted for the citizenship of other country while he was facing life-threatening medical issues during his forced exile.

“That as a matter of record the Answering-Respondent submits that in the year 2002 when Answering-Respondent was in forced exile, he was diagnosed with life threatening cancer for which doctors in Saudi Arabia had advised immediate medical treatment in the United States of America. However, the Answering-Respondent at that time was not in custody of a valid Pakistani passport.

The then regime led by a dictator had refused to renew/issue a valid travel document for the Answering-Respondent. Despite being offered the option of travelling on the passport of a foreign country, the Answering-Respondent did not opt for the said/kind assistance despite facing a life threatening situation,” said the affidavit.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 17^th, 2012.