ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court summoned on Wednesday the Election Commission’s record in the disqualification case against Water Resources Minister Faisal Vawda.
Jahangir Jadoon, the lawyer of petitioner Mian Faisal, said Vawda is making a mockery of the court proceedings. He has been not following the court orders and should be disqualified for hiding his double citizenship, the lawyer said.
Justice Aamer Farooq told the lawyer not to make the matter political. This is a legal case. “We know how to handle it.”
The case has been adjourned till November 4.
A petition was filed against the PTI minister on January 29 for submitting fake documents to the ECP.
A news report had revealed that Vawda filed his nomination papers on June 11, 2018 when he still held US nationality. His papers were approved on June 18, 2018. The federal minister had filed papers to give up his US citizenship on June 22 and he was issued a certificate on June 25.
Article 62(i)(f) deems it necessary for all members of Parliament to be sadiq and ameen. They are prohibited from concealing information about their assets.
On the other hand, Article 63(1)(c) of the Constitution says that “a person shall be disqualified from being elected or chosen as, and from being, a member of Parliament if he ceases to be a citizen of Pakistan or acquires the citizenship of a foreign state.”
On October 17, 2018 two PML-N leaders were disqualified by the Supreme Court for holding dual nationalities. Sadia Abbasi and Haroon Akhtar had dual citizenships when they filed their nomination papers, the court said.