Ishaq Dar announces to take oath as senator

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Ishaq Dar on Thursday has announced to take oath as senator, ARY News reported.

Dar was elected as a senator on a technocrat seat from Punjab in 2018. He could not take oath due to his stay in London. However, the SC suspended his membership over his failure to appear in court on May 8, 2018.

In a letter penned to the Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani, Ishaq Dar said he is ready to take oath as a senator after removal of ‘legal barriers’.

Dar further said he is currently residing in the United Kingdom (UK) for his medical treatment and he is unable to come in person.

The PML-N stalwart has asked the Senate chairman to make preparations for his oath on the virtual video link and if it is not possible any competent authority in the UK under article 255 should be asked to make arrangements for the oath.

A copy of the letter has been forwarded to the Election Commission of Pakistan also.

The development follows after the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) announced to take up a petition seeking disqualification of Ishaq Dar as senator on Feb 21.

Advocate Azhar Siddique filed the petition requesting the commission to disqualify Dar as a member of the Upper House of Parliament under Article 63 of the country’s Constitution.

Siddiqui stated in the petition that a court declared the PML-N senator-elect as a defaulter in the case of appointment of Attaul Haq Qasmi as the chairperson and managing director of Pakistan Television (PTV).