Summary Justice Khwaja said that the court would not allow withdrawing the petition at this point.
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – The case seeking disqualification of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was heard by a three-member bench led by Justice Jawad S Khwaja in the Supreme Court of Pakistan. Justice Dost Muhammad asked the petitioner’s counsel Tahir Nawaz Sindhu if he could present the army chief as a witness or put forth his statement in the court.
Justice Jawad S Khwaja said that since a petition has been filed seeking disqualification of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, the case is now in the courts and would continue. Justice Dost Muhammad said that after the companions of Prophet, nobody can be regarded as Sadiq and Amin (Honest and Truthful). Therefore, according to the petition everybody could be disqualified from the parliament.
He added by saying that the matter was between the PM and the army chief, therefore nobody can know the context of their discussion. Justice Jawad Khwaja asserted that the petition was filed on basis of a statement published in the newspapers and now the case would advance till the point it creates displeasure. He further said that only army chief can answer whether the Prime Minister had requested him to mediate to resolve the political crisis.
He also said that it is important to know the discussion between army chief and Imran Khan. Petitioner argued that the Prime Minister can be disqualified for not fulfilling criteria set by Article 62 and 63 of the constitution if his ineligibility is not proved. Justice Dost Muhammad said that in order to prove his ineligibility, army chief would have to be made a witness in the case. Justice Khwaja said that the court would not allow withdrawing the petition. The petitioner responded that he would die but not withdraw the petition. The case was adjourned until October 15.
