ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday disqualified the Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs Khawaja Muhammad Asif for life under article 62 (1)(f) of the Constitution in Iqama Case.
However, Khawaja Asif announced to challenge the decision of the IHC in the Supreme Court of Pakistan and started consultations with legal experts in this regard.
A three-member IHC larger bench headed by Justice Athar Minallah and also consisting of Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani and Justice Aamer Farooq had reserved its judgement on April 10, in response to a petition filed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) Usman Dar against Khawaja Asif.
In his petition, Usman Dar argued that Khawaja Asif possessed a UAE Iqama and worked in an Abu Dhabi Company – International Mechanical and Electrical Company (IMECL) – as a legal advisor but he didn’t declare it in Pakistan; therefore, he was no longer eligible to remain a lawmaker.
Today, the head of three-member IHC bench Justice Athar Minallah read the judgement, according to which, Khawaja Asif was declared not ‘Sadiq’ (honest) and ‘Ameen’ (righteous); therefore, he lost the eligibility of becoming as the member of the Parliament.
I thank Almighty Allah for this victory. With the support of my leader Imran Khan, seniors, PTI workers, social media activists and lawyers, I have overcome this challenge and brought this fraudster under the long arms of Law. Alhumdulillah.
— Usman Dar (@UdarOfficial) April 26, 2018
However, the minister rejected the allegations, and was of the view that he had mentioned all the required information in his nomination paper.
Following his disqualification by the IHC, Khawaja Asif will now also not remain the Country’s Foreign Minister any longer.
Khawaja Asif was the second leader from the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) who had to pay the price for having an Iqama as prior to that, the PML-N Quaid and the former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was also disqualified under article 62 (1)(f) by the Supreme Court on July 28 last year over same charges.
It is worth mentioning here that on April 13, a five-judge larger bench of the Supreme Court unanimously declared that any person disqualified under Article 62 (1)(f) of the Constitution would remain ineligible to contest the election throughout his life.
Earlier in the day, the PTI leader Usman Dar met the Party Chairman Imran Khan and discussed the IHC’s likely verdict in Khawaja Asif’s disqualification case.
Imran Khan said that Khawaja Asif violated the sanctity of vote. He said that Khawaja Asif’s disqualification case was not personal but about the future of Pakistan.
“I hope the decision will come in favour of PTI,” Imran Khan said.
