KHUDAYAR MOHLA

ISLAMABAD: Supreme Court was urged on Tuesday to strike down the amendment in the election law which has enabled Nawaz Sharif to again become President of Pakistan Muslim League-N as even after the apex court declared him disqualified in the Panama Papers case from holding public office for not being truthful and sagacious.

Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutta, an advocate of Supreme Court, filed the plea under Article 184 (3) of the Constitution, making the Federation of Pakistan through secretaries of Cabinet Division and Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs as respondents. Bhutta submitted that on October 02, 2017, the National Assembly passed the ‘Election Bill, 2017’ by omitting a proviso of the earlier Bill which provided that a person shall not be appointed or serve as an office-bearer of a political party if he is not qualified to be, or is disqualified from being, elected or chosen as a member of the Majlis-e-Shoora (Parliament) under Article 63 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan or under any other law for the time being in force.

Terming the the Election Bill, 2017 against the basic structure of the Constitution, Bhutta requested the court to declare the law null and void for enforcement of fundamental rights in the country.

Bhutta said that amended Election Bill, 2017 has empowered any disqualified member of the National Assembly (on the grounds that he was not truthful or sagacious by any court of law) to control legislation business in the House being party leader, saying Article 63A of the Constitution states that an MNA can be disqualified if he or she votes against the official party line.

He categorically submitted that under the law, a disqualified person will continue to control the basic business of the National Assembly which can be dangerous for the country.

Bhutta submitted that the law is against the provisions of the Constitution of Pakistan and prayed the court to declare it null and void in the larger interest of justice.