-The court has approved Vawda’s petition for immediate hearing and fixed the case for today
-Faisal Vawda has challenged February 24 decision of the ECP
-Argues that the ECP has rejected his plea against the facts of the matter
From Zeeshan Mirza
KARACHI: Federal Water Resources Minister Faisal Vawda on Monday sought an immediate restraining order from the Sindh High Court (SHC), over disqualification case against him in the ECP.
The court has approved Vawda’s petition for immediate hearing and fixed the case today (Tuesday).
Faisal Vawda has challenged Feb 24 decision of the Election Commission of Pakistan and argued that the ECP has rejected his plea against the facts of the matter. “The ECP was not authorized to hear complaints against me,” Vawda argued. “My objection was turned down by the ECP,” he further said.
The ECP hearing three complaints over dual national of Faisal Vawda.
Barrister Jahangir Khan Jadoon, the counsel of a petitioner, alleged that Vawda lied in the June 11, 2018 affidavit he submitted to the ECP before the 2018 elections that he had given up his dual nationality. He said the minister was an American national at that time but he fibbed in the affidavit, adding he held the US citizenship even when his nomination papers were being scrutinised.
The petitions seek Vawda’s removal from the public office under clause 62-1 (F) of the constitution.
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday declared that it could not disqualify Federal Minister for Water Resource Faisal Vawda after his resignation from the National Assembly seat. The court has, however, directed the ECP to decide the matter of submission of an allegedly false affidavit by Vawda along with his nomination papers for the July 2018 polls. Vawda had won the 2018 general election from Karachi’s NA-249 constituency.
Later in last month, in a rare move, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) imposed a fine of Rs50,000 on Federal Minister Faisal Vawda for repeatedly seeking adjournments in a disqualification case.
A five-member bench, headed by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja, heard the case of disqualification of Faisal Vawda at the Election Commission Secretariat. The minister’s lawyer, Muhammad bin Mohsin, did not appear before the Election Commission bench during the hearing while the ECP imposed a fine of Rs50,000 on Vawda for repeatedly seeking adjournments of the case.
