SC turns down PML-N MPA appeal against disqualification verdict

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) has turned down Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) Member of Provincial Assembly (MPA) Kashif Mehmood’s appeal against his disqualification verdict, ARY News reported on Tuesday.

The Supreme Court has upheld the disqualification verdict against PML-N MPA Kashif Mehmood from PP-241 Bahawalnagar.

Lawyer Naeem Bukhari told the court that the Islamabad High Court (IHC) had declared the provincial lawmaker disqualified over possessing a fake degree. The PML-N MPA had filed an intra-court appeal against the IHC verdict which was later withdrawn after having a compromise with his opponent Abdul Ghaffar.

Naeem Bukhari pleaded with the top court to reject the appeal that had been filed in the Supreme Court in a violation of the law.

The MPA’s lawyer said that it was not the jurisdiction of the IHC to hear the disqualification case against his client. The lawyer added that it was the right of the Lahore High Court (LHC) to hear the disqualification plea against the MPA.

Justice Mansoor Ali Shah remarked that the notification of the candidate’s victory was issued by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) whose office is located in Islamabad. The judge maintained that the high court has a right to hear the case.

Justice Shah remarked that it was the lawmaker’s mistake to withdraw his intra-court appeal in the high court.

Earlier in January last year, the PML-N Member of Provincial Assembly (MPA) Kashif Mehmood had been declared ineligible by the Islamabad High Court (IHC) over possessing a fake degree.

It is pertinent to mention here that Kashif Mehmood had won the election from the PP-241 constituency in Bahawalnagar-V during 2018’s general election on the ticket of PML-N. He was also performing as a member of the Finance Committee of the Punjab Assembly.