Supreme Court makes important statement on lifelong disqualification of dissident MPs
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*Islamabad: The SC has announced its verdict on the interpretation of Article 63 (A), announcing that defective votes will not be counted in the parliament.*
The Supreme Court of Paksitan has announced its verdict over the presidential reference on the interpretation of Article 63(A).
The decision was made with a majority of 3-2, Justice Jamal Mandokhel and Justice Nazeer Alam dissented from the decision. The Chief Justice said that changing loyalties in the parliament damages the integrity of democracy.
The decision read that the decision about the life-long disqualification of defecting members is to be made by the parliament.
A five-member bench headed by Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial and comprising Justice Ijazul Ahsan, Justice Mazhar Alam Khan Miankhel, Justice Munib Akhtar and Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail, had completed proceedings of the case earlier today.
The hearing of the case commenced on March 21 under a two-member bench, which was later increased to a larger bench by CJP Bandial.
Article 63(A) cannot be interpreted alone, other articles also need to be kept in context, said the Cheif Justice.
The decision has caused serious questions over the legitimacy of the Punjab government and CM Humza Shehbaz, as he was elected with the help of defecting PTI members’ votes.
However, the decision regarding the defection of PTI members in the Punjab Assembly will be announced by the Election Commission of Paksitan tomorrow.
