ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Thursday gave Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf Senator Faisal Vawda “a last chance” to submit their arguments on a plea seeking latter’s disqualification for hiding information pertaining to his dual nationality.
A three-member bench, headed by the chief election commissioner (CEC), conducted the hearing, during which Vawda’s counsel remained absent due to the illness of a family member.
During the hearing, the CEC noted that it had been established that Vawda had dual citizenship and if he had renounced his foreign nationality, he should submit a renunciation certificate.
“If no one attends the next hearing, we will reserve the verdict on the matter,” the CEC said, adding that the commission had to conclude the cases and begin preparations for the next elections.
Addressing Vawda, the CEC gave him the option to either submit his arguments in writing, in which case the ECP bench would reserve its ruling on the matter, or present the arguments himself so that the bench could issue a verdict.
Vawda contended that he possessed dual citizenship by birth. At this, the CEC pointed out that the issue was whether Vawda had dual citizenship at the time of filing of his nomination papers for contesting the 2018 general elections.
To which, Vawda expressed ignorance of the paperwork pertaining to the renunciation of the nationality of any country and said he had also surrendered his American passport.
He sought more time to submit his reply on the plea and pleaded to the bench to dispose of the case. The CEC noted that the Islamabad High Court, where the plea for Vawda’s dismissal was originally filed, had directed the ECP to conclude the case within two months.
“We have to start preparing for the next general elections as well and will not let the proceedings of this case delay anymore,” he said, adjourning the hearing till December 23.
The petition, filed in 2020, challenged Vawda’s election as a member of the National Assembly (NA) in 2018, stating that when Vawda filed his nomination papers to contest the elections, he held dual nationality as he was a US citizen as well. Vawda had resigned from his NA seat hours before he was elected a senator in March this year.
