ISLAMABAD – A petition seeking the disqualification of three PTI lawmakers has been filed in the Islamabad High Court in the backdrop of dual nationality and concealing material facts from the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).
PTI MNAs Maleeka Bokhari, Tashfeen Safdar and Kanwal Shauzab, have been alleged to hold dual nationalities, with the petitioners Abdullah Khan and Chaudhry Mehmood Ali Hashim seeking their disqualification.
The petition filed through their counsel, Ahmed Raza Kasuri has held the three lawmakers and ECP as respondents.
The petition states that the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) identified Maleeka Bokhari as a UK passport holder, pleading that through her affidavit Bokhari confirmed that she had renounced her UK nationality and surrendered her passport and claimed that the UK Home Office also acknowledged the same.
The petition says that Ms Bokhari had referred to email correspondence between herself and the British authorities but the emails were dated June 11, 2018 and Ms Bokhari had submitted her nominations papers on June 10, 2018.
‘On the deadline set by the ECP for the submission of nomination papers, she was still a dual national,’ the petition says.
Bokhari currently serves as the Parliamentary Secretary Law & Justice.
Regarding Tashfeen Safdar, the petitioner argued that the legislator submitted her nomination papers on June 8 while an FIA report forwarded to the ECP identified her as a British passport holder.
‘She had held a foreign passport/nationality when she surrendered vide a declaration of renunciation dated March 25, 2013; which was registered and effectuated/operative by the Home Office, UK on April 04, 2013,’ the petition says.
It continues that Ms Safdar had to disclose her renunciation in the affidavit dated June 8 and that failure to do so [is] tantamount to mala fide, perjury and fabricating false evidence.
The petitioner argued that Kanwal Shauzab contested the Senate election on a general seat from the federal capital and provided details of her registration as a voter in the federal capital comparing that her permanent and present addresses are in Rawalpindi and Sargodha.
Ms Shauzab has misled the ECP about her residence and registration of vote and that she was, therefore, ineligible for contesting the elections of holding a seat in the National Assembly, the petition stated.
The petitioner requested the court to direct these lawmakers to clarify their stance and in case the court is not satisfied with their response, the ECP be directed to de-notify them under articles 62 and 63 of the Constitution.
