Faisal Vawda qualified to contest next polls, rules SC

KARACHI: The Supreme Court (SC) of Pakistan on Friday overturned a decision of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to disqualify former PTI leader Faisal Vawda for life, ARY News reported.

A three-member bench headed by the Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial announced the decision after Vawda rendered an unconditional apology before the court.

The former federal minister appeared before the court today and tendered apologise after top court gave him two options – either confess his mistake and accept disqualification under clause 63 (1)- C or the court will proceed under clause 62 (1)-F.

Accepting his apology, the apex court ruled that Vawda was disqualified under Article 63(1)(c) and not Article 62(1)(f) – the lifetime ban applied on former PM Nawaz Sharif and Jahangir Tareen.

Vawda had challenged his lifetime disqualification following a verdict issued by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

In his petition, the former PTI leader had stated that the election commission was unauthorised to declare him disqualified for life. He was of the view that the Islamabad High Court (IHC) had dismissed his plea in haste.

The ECP had declared the lifetime disqualification of Faisal Vawda in its verdict for submitting a fake affidavit.

The IHC had also dismissed his plea, stating that the act of submitting a fake affidavit has severe consequences while a judgement of the SC’s larger bench was also available in which several parliamentarians have been disqualified.

An ECP bench, led by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikander Sultan Raja, had disqualified Vawda for concealing his dual nationality with a direction to return the salary and other benefits he had received as a minister and National Assembly member within two months. He was also de-notified as a senator.