IHC fixes disqualification plea against Fawad Ch for hearing
"The land he owns in Jhelum was not declared in his nomination papers with the ECP," he added.
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday accepted and fixed a petition for hearing, seeking disqualification of Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry from holding a public office under Articles 62 and 63 of the Constitution.
Meanwhile, the court issued notices to Mr Chaudhry and the law ministry to submit their response on the matter within two weeks.
As hearing on admissibility of the petition resumed, IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah asked the advocate whether the court should intervene in political affairs.
“Satisfy the court!” he remarked. To which, the advocate said that Mr Chaudhry had concealed his assets while submitting his nomination papers with the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).
“The land he owns in Jhelum was not declared in his nomination papers with the ECP,” he added.
To this, Justice Minallah stated that the court has always discouraged its involvements in cases filed on political grounds as political affairs should be dealt on political forums.
The advocate told the court that Mr Chaudhry was not sadiq and amin. To this, Justice Minallah asked: “Which person is sadiq and amin?”
The advocate recalled that former premier Nawaz Sharif and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) senior leader Jahangir Khan Tareen had been disqualified on the same issues.
The court replied that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Khawaja Asif was disqualified, but later was reinstated.
“Courts as institutions [of accountability] should not get involve in political matters,” the chief justice went on to say.
The petition submitted against Mr Chaudhry has pleaded with the court to disqualify the minister under Article 62 (1) (f) from holding public office as he had not disclosed documents containing his proprietary information.
It has sought the court to order lodging of a criminal case against him and withdrawal of all privileges granted to him as a minister.
The ECP, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and others had also been made parties in the petition.
