INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
a three-member special bench to hear an appeal of former foreign minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif against his disqualification by the
The bench comprises of Justice Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Faisal Arab and Justice Sajjad Ali Shah
The apex court will conduct the first hearing on May 7
Last week, an IHC three-member bench headed by Justice Athar Minallah, disqualified Khawaja Asif under Article 62 (1)(f) of the Constitution
for failing to disclose his employment in a UAE company and the monthly salary he was drawing.The court had disqualified Khawaja Asif on the
petition, filed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Usman Dar, alleging that the former foreign minister had not disclosed in his
nomination papers for 2013 general elections, his employment in a UAE company and monthly salary.On Wednesday, Khwaja Asif filed a petition
for leave to appeal under Article 185(3) of the Constitution against the IHC judgment.He prayed to the apex court to set aside the IHC
judgment as well as the notification of Election Commission of Pakistan, de-notifying him as member of the National Assembly from NA-110
case that the respondent (Asif) had deliberately and willfully not disclosed his status as an employee of the company, nor receiving the
salary pursuant thereto, however, Khawaja Asif claimed that he had made full disclosure in his nomination form as required under
minister further contended when the requirement in law was to disclose assets and liabilities, which he did so honestly and even the salary
of AED9000 was plainly recorded in the tax returns filed with the nomination papers and even the Iqama clearly recorded the name of the
non-disclosure of the dormant bank account, adding that in relation to the non-disclosure of the dormant bank account, the IHC bench had
gone beyond the pleadings of the petitioner.
