Violation of oath: Supreme Court asked to disqualify PM from assembly

Petitioner claims contrary to his pledge, PM violated article 63(1)(g) of Constitution via involvement in RPP scam.

KARACHI:

Lawyer Dr Imran Liaquat Hussain has asked the Supreme Court to declare Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf disqualified from membership of the National Assembly due to his alleged involvement in the rental power plants scam.

Hussain filed his petition with the SC Karachi registry on Thursday. He said that the prime minister while taking oath as member of the assembly had pledged to safeguard the solemnity of the country.

Contrary to his pledge, he violated the article 63(1)(g) of the constitution through his involvement in the rental power plants scam. Thus, he is no more a member of the national assembly, he added.

The petitioner cited that earlier the apex court had also declared former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani as disqualified from holding a seat in the parliament under the article 63(1)(g) in NRO implementation case on June 19, 2012. “Arrest or conviction is not necessary for disqualification,” he argued.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 19^th, 2013.