ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court abolished the lifetime disqualification ofPakistan Mulsim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Khawaja Mohammad Asif here onFriday.
Justice Umar Ata Bandial headed the three member bench comprising JusticesFaisal Arab and Sajjad Ali Shah and it announced the verdict on Friday. Thebench observed that the details of the verdict will be shared soon.
The apex court declared Khawaja Asif is now eligible to contest in upcomingelections, which are scheduled to be held on July 25.
The bench had earlier reserved its decision on the appeal filed on May 2 bythe former foreign minister challenging his April 27 lifetimedisqualification by the Islamabad High Court (IHC).
PTI’s Usman Dar had initially filed a petition in the Islamabad High Courtseeking disqualification of Asif over failure to declare his foreignemployment in the nomination papers for 2013 general elections.
Dar counsel told court that Khawaja Asif was working as an employee in aforeign country while serving as a minister in Pakistan and adding that hisoath should be revised.
Meanwhile, Khawaja Asif’s legal counsel had argued that he did not mentionforeign accounts on nomination papers unintentionally.
The counsel informed the court that he had declared his bank accountsdetails and iqama (work permit) before the writ was submitted by Usman Dar.
After the announcement of verdict, Usman Dar congratulated Khawaja Asif forbecoming eligible to contest general elections and challenged him that nowbe ready for the people court in Sialkot in the general elections.
Earlier on Thursday, Justice Umer Ata Bandial had observed that disclosingforeign salary by the petitioner (Khawaja Asif) is sufficient, adding thatit was not fair to destroy anyone’s career.