Pakistan Muslim League (N) leader Khawaja Asif challenged in the Supreme Court on Wednesday last week’s decision to disqualify him from parliament.
The former foreign minister was disqualified under Article 62(1)(f) of the constitution on April 26, after the Islamabad High Court found he had not disclosed his employment in a UAE-based company and the related compensation, in his nomination papers for the 2013 election.
In his petition challenging the disqualification, Asif has argued that while he was unable to disclose the related bank account in his nomination papers in 2013, he had declared both his residence permit for the UAE and the bank account, before the petition was filed against him.
Furthermore, he argued that the bank account in question was dormant and held only a very small fraction of his declared assets. He has asked the Supreme Court to overturn the decision and void the notification issued by the Election Commission of Pakistan de-notifying him as a member of the National Assembly.
The Supreme Court admitted Asif’s petition and has decided to hear the case on Friday, May 4.
The three-member IHC bench, comprising Justice Athar Minallah, Justice Aamir Farooq and Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani, had disqualified Asif with a “heavy heart.” The court judgment read: “We have handed down this judgment with a heavy heart not only because a seasoned and accomplished political figure stands disqualified but more so because the dreams and aspirations of 342,125 registered voters have suffered a setback.’
Asif is the second-highest profile PML (N) leader to be disqualified under the Article 62 of the constitution, after former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was disqualified last year. With the forthcoming general elections in 2018, both Sharif and Asif’s disqualifications are being considered significant losses for PML (N), from an electoral standpoint.
The initial petition against Asif was brought forward by Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf’s Usman Dar, Asif’s political rival and contestant in the 2013 general election for the seat of NA-110 in Sialkot. Asif has won this seat consecutively five times in the general elections of 1993, 1996, 2002, 2008, and 2013.
Khawaja Asif challenges disqualification in Supreme Court
Khawaja Asif challenges disqualification in Supreme Court
- Asif is the second-highest profile PML (N) leader to be disqualified under the Article 62 of the constitution.
- The initial petition against Asif was brought forward by Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf’s Usman Dar.
Punjab expands Pakistan-India Wagah border arena with museum, partition-themed park
- The border crossing, near eastern city of Lahore, is the primary land route between Pakistan and India and one of the most recognizable symbols of their often-tense relations
- The site is best known for its daily flag-lowering ceremony, a choreographed military ritual performed by border forces from both countries that draws thousands of spectators
ISLAMABAD: Maryam Nawaz, chief minister of Pakistan’s Punjab province, on Thursday inaugurated the newly constructed arena at Wagah border cross between Pakistan and India, which includes a museum and a partition themed park.
The Wagah border crossing, located near the eastern city of Lahore, is the primary land route between Pakistan and India and one of the most recognizable symbols of the often-tense relationship between the two neighbors. It serves as a key point for prisoner exchanges and limited movement of travelers, while remaining tightly regulated due to security considerations.
The site is best known for its daily flag-lowering ceremony, a choreographed military ritual performed by border forces from both countries that draws thousands of spectators. Over the years, the ceremony has evolved into a popular tourist attraction, blending displays of nationalism with public spectacle and making it one of Pakistan’s most visited landmarks, which connects with India’s Attari.
Flanked by military officials, CM Nawaz visited the crossing and inaugurated the new arena, with its seating capacity increased from 7,500 to 25,000 spectators, the state-run Radio Pakistan broadcaster reported. The chief minister also visited the martyrs’ monument and offered her respects.
“In addition to the arena’s expansion, several new constructions have been added at the Joint Check Post Wagah. These new developments include a theme park depicting the partition of the Subcontinent, featuring models of a railway station, military equipment and a Martyrs’ Memorial,” the broadcaster reported.
“A Pakistan Museum has also been established within the arena, showcasing the country’s history and culture from the Freedom Movement to the present day.”
In August 1947, Britain divided the Indian Sub-continent, its former colony, into two countries — Hindu-majority India and Muslim-majority Pakistan.
Excitement over independence was quickly overshadowed by some of the worst bloodletting that left up to 1 million people dead as gangs of Hindus and Muslims slaughtered each other.
Creating two independent nations also tore apart millions of Hindu and Muslim families in one of the world’s largest peacetime migrations, which displaced at least 15 million people.
The fate of Kashmir, then a princely state, was left undecided. The Himalayan territory continues to remain a flashpoint in relations between the neighbors, who have fought multiple wars over it.
