ISLAMABAD – The Supreme Court, in a 6-1 verdict, put an end to lifetime disqualification for lawmakers in Pakistan on Monday.
A larger bench, led by Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa and including several justices, had reserved the verdict last Friday.
Justice Isa indicated a swift but not immediate issuance of the shorter order. The Court aimed to settle the debate about disqualified candidates under Article 62(1)(f) of the Constitution contesting elections, a provision that affected figures like Nawaz Sharif and Jahangir Tareen.
The confusion stemmed from a 2018 Supreme Court ruling that initially deemed disqualification under Article 62(1)(f) as “permanent.” However, an amendment in June 2023 altered the Electoral Act, reducing the disqualification period to five years instead of a lifetime ban.
The recent case emerged when Sardar Mir Badshah Khan Qaisarani, disqualified due to a fake degree, appealed the decision, which remains pending before the Lahore High Court.
