SC accepts petitions against Election Act 2017 for hearing
Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar headed the three-member bench.
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – The Supreme Court (SC) of Pakistan on Monday accepted petitions against the Election Act 2017 which allowed disqualified Nawaz Sharif to remain president of his party, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), for proper hearing from January 23.
Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar headed the three-member bench including Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Justice Faisal Arab, and heard the objections raised against the Election Act 2017 by thirteen petitioners.
The apex court issued notices to ousted premier Nawaz Sharif, Speaker National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, Senate Chairman Mian Raza Rabbani, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and the law ministry. The attorney general of Pakistan has also been summoned on January 23 to assist the court.
Justice Saqib Nisar remarked that the SC holds authority of judicial review, but the parliament is the supreme body for legislation and the court cannot exceed its limits. He said the bill was passed in the NA by the vote of all parties and can only be annulled if is contradictory to basic rights.
Justice Ijazul Ahsan said the role of party leader is very important in parliamentary system, and inquired about the details of Section 203 of the election act that can lead the bill to abolishment.
Awami Muslim League (AML) President Sheikh Rasheed Ahmad’s counsel argued that honest leadership is a basic right of every citizen, and a disqualified person is violating that by controlling the party matters.
Justice Ijazul Ahsan asked that was the bill passed in senate by majority of just one vote, upon which the lawyer answered in affirmation.
Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) lawyer Latif Khosa said chairperson regulates all decisions of the party according to the law. He told the court on Justice Ijazul Ahsan’s inquiry that party’s parliamentary committee is also not free to take decisions.
Let it be known that Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutta, Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, All Pakistan Aam Admi Party, Justice Party, Muhammad Dawood Ghaznavi, Abdul Wadood Qureshi, Sheikh Ahsan-ud-Din, Pakistan Peoples Party, Jamshed Ahmed Khan Dasti, National Party, Imran Khan, Ishtiaq Ahmed Chaudhry and Gohar Nawaz Sindhu had filed the petitions against the Election Act 2017.
