Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa remarked on Monday that the Supreme Court’s decision on lifetime disqualification and amendments in the Election Act limiting disqualification to five years cannot exist at the same time.

A SC bench took up former MPA Meer Badshah Khan Qaisrani’s appeal against his disqualification on Monday, where the matter of duration of the disqualification came up.

The bench issued notices to the attorney general and provincial adovocate generals in the case.

The bench adjourned the case till January but clarified that it could not be allowed to be used as a tool to delay the elections. The matter has now been referred to the judges committee for to be fixed for hearing.

During the hearing, the CJP remarked that there were two opinions on lifetime disqualification inside the court. He also questioned how the disqualification for treason could be five years but lifetime for lying.

Justice Athar Minallah remarked that elections would be held on February 8 and anyone trying to create confusion over the matter would be guilty of contempt of court.

The chief justice told the petitioner that a larger bench should take up the matter since it involved a constitutional matter. He also told the petitioner that the petition would hep clear the confusion in the matter.