Jahangir Tareen was disqualified to balance Nawaz Sharif’s conviction: Dar

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Senator Ishaq Dar on Sunday asserted that former PTI leader Jahangir Khan Tareen was disqualified to balance conviction of party supremo Nawaz Sharif, ARY News reported.

Nawaz Sharif and Jahangir Tareen, patron-in-chief of newly formed Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP), were disqualified for life more than five years ago after a Supreme Court judgement ruled that the disqualification under Article 62(1)(f) of the Constitution was for life.

On July 28, 2017, the apex court disqualified Nawaz Sharif from office on the ground that he did not disclose a salary from his son’s Dubai-based company – the money Sharif says he never received.

Later, a SC bench headed by the then CJP Mian Saqib Nisar disqualified PTI leader Tareen under Article 62 (1)(f) of the Constitution for deliberately submitting a false statement in the Supreme Court to conceal his property in the United Kingdom.

Article 62(1)(f) reads: “A person shall not be qualified to be elected or chosen as a member of Majlis-e-Shoora [Parliament] unless-…he is sagacious, righteous and non-profligate, honest and ameen, there being no declaration to the contrary by a court of law.”

Speaking to a private news channel, Ishaq Dar claimed that the disqualification period under Article 62(1)(f) of the Constitution was five years, not lifetime.

“Tareen was disqualified to balance Nawaz’s conviction,” the former finance czar said, adding that a plan was chalked out to keep the PML-N supremo out of the politics.

He further said that cases were made against the three-time prime minister on basis of ‘malice’.

Responding to a question, Ishaq Dar asked how many times his party was not provided the level playing field in the past. However, he endorsed the demand of other political parties of “level playing field and free and fair elections”.

When asked about any plan regarding seat adjustment in the upcoming general elections, the PML-N Senator replied in affirmative.

“Discussion regarding seat adjustment can be held with every political party, even PTI – if they didn’t carry out May 9 violence,” he added.

In response to a question, Dar advised President Dr Arif Alvi to resign as his constitutional term is over.

‘Relationship with military leadership’

Responding to a question, Ishaq Dar said that Nawaz Sharif will not confront the military leadership this time. “He [Nawaz] always said stakeholders should work together within the limits of constitution,” he added.

“The incumbent military leadership is very honest and competent,” he said, adding that they were determined to take Pakistan forward.

He also praised the ‘mindset’ for establishing Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) and agricultural model and introducing of IT initiatives.