ISLAMABAD – Awami Muslim League chief Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed may bedisqualified from contesting elections over the petition of concealingassets and wrong doings in nomination papers.
It appeared from the observations and remarks of the top court judges.
The court, however, observed that the mistake either intentional orunintentional would result in disqualification and reserved the verdict.
A three-member bench of the court headed by Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeedheard the case filed by PML-N leader from Rawalpindi Shakeel Awan.
The petition by Shakeel Awan, who lost the 2013 general election toRasheed, claims that the NA-55 lawmaker misdeclared his assets in hisnomination papers and owned the error as well.
During the course of proceedings, the counsel for Shakeel Awan appearedbefore the bench and stated that Sheikh Rasheed concealed his assets and in2013 elections he showed the worth of a plot in Bahria Town at around Rs 10million, however, the booking of the plot began from over Rs 4.8 million.He alleged that Sheikh Rasheed also did not show his complete land recordsof Fateh Jang.
Shakeel Awan’s counsel argued before the three-member bench that accordingto the Representation of People’s Act, it is necessary to accuratelydeclare all of one’s assets before contesting elections. He asserted thatthe most recent court case regarding the wrong filling of nomination papersis the 2017 Panama Papers judgment.
Sheikh Rasheed’s counsel contended that his client did not conceal anythingand accepted that his client has owned the mistake in valuing his assets.
During the hearing, Justice Qazi Faez Isa remarked that according to thepetitioner, whatever the error, the lawmaker should be disqualified.
The question is whether a lawmaker stands disqualified if it is proved thathe or she committed an error while filling the nomination papers or hisassets, observed Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed, who headed the bench.
Justice Isa remarked that if this is the case, the Panama case was aboutthe London flats but the prime minister was disqualified over an Iqama. Healso asked where in the Panama judgment it was declared that whatever themistake, the punishment should be disqualification.
Justice Isa observed that it has become difficult to contest elections inPakistan and to fill out the nomination papers.