Zardari disqualification case: Political cases should not be brought to court, says IHC

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday heard a petition field by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), seeking disqualification of former president Asif Ali Zardari for concealing his assets, ARY News reported.

During the hearing, Chief Justice of Islamabad High Court (IHC) Justice Athar Minhallah said the petitioner should have approached the election commission instead. “Why do you bring political cases to the courts. A number of other cases are already pending here.”

In its remarks, the IHC also remarked that it would hear the petitions judicially. The court ordered the registrar office to fix both the pleas for hearing.

The petition stated that the Pakistan People’s Party co-chairman is ineligible to hold office and it sought the court’s ruling to disqualify him from becoming a member of the National Assembly for life.

Zardari, the Election Commission of Pakistan and the National Assembly secretary were named respondents in the case.

The application pleaded the court to disqualify Zardari from holding membership of the National Assembly for not being Sadiq and Amin under Article 62 (1)(f) of the Constitution.

Earlier, the Supreme Court had returned a petition filed by PTI leaders seeking disqualification of Zardari for concealing his assets.

Couple of weeks ago, PTI leader Khurram Sher Zaman had withdrawn his plea from the election commission, stating he had garnered key evidence against Zaradri which would be furnished before the top court.

The PTI member had moved the petition in the ECP accusing Zardari of concealing his assets. He had alleged that the PPP leader owned an apartment in Belaire Condominiums located at 524 East 72nd Street in New York but failed to disclose it in his nomination papers for the 2018 general elections.