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ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Saturday issued the detailed order in the disqualification case of Federal Minister Faisal Vawda.
On March 3, Justice Aamer Farooq had 3 disposed of the petition challenging Vawda’s election after the minister submitted his resignation from the National Assembly. In the detailed order, the court stated that the affidavit submitted by the PTI leader regarding his dual nationality is “false”.
The court, however, said that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) should probe the matter and pass any appropriate order.
“Since the affidavits were tendered before the Election Commission of Pakistan it is just and proper that the Election Commission of Pakistan probes into the matter of veracity of affidavit furnished by Faisal Vawda on 11.06.2018 and if same is found to be false to stipulate the effect thereof pursuant to observations made in PLD 2020 SC 591,” the order said.
The judgement noted that since the lawmaker has resigned as Member National Assembly no writ order can be issued with respect to holding dual nationality.
“The matter of furnishing false affidavit is to be probed by the Election Commission of Pakistan since the same was submitted before it and the Commission may pass appropriate orders with respect to the same,” it added.
The court also observed that the responded “lingered on the matter by not filing reply under one pretext or the other which delayed the adjudication of the matter”.
Vawda had won the 2018 general election from Karachi’s NA-249 constituency. In January last year, it was revealed that Vawda had committed perjury by falsely declaring in oath to the ECP that he did not hold any foreign nationality.
Vawda was reportedly in possession of a United States passport at the time he filed his nomination papers and remained an American national even during the scrutiny of his nomination papers.
The Supreme Court of Pakistan had ruled that candidates who hold dual nationality are supposed to submit a renunciation certificate of the foreign nationality along with their nomination papers.
