Faisal Vawda challenges his disqualification in IHC

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Faisal Vawda on Tuesday has challenged the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) decision that disqualified him for life in a dual nationality case in the Islamabad High Court (IHC).

Vawda has filed an appeal in the Islamabad High Court seeking annulment of the Election Commission’s decision of disqualification dated February 9, 2022.

The petition contends that the ECP was not empowered to rule on disqualification and the decision has no legal status.

Read more: ECP disqualifies Faisal Vawda over concealment of dual nationality

The appeal also said that the ECP did not meet the legal requirements in its disqualification decision.

Advocate Wasim Sajjad has filed the plea on behalf of the PTI leader in the Islamabad High court.

The short order announced by the ECP on February 9th declared that the vote Vawda cast in the Senate polls held on March 10 as a member of the NA was also “invalid” as he submitted a “false affidavit” when submitting nomination papers.

The decision was given after as many as 23 hearings for nearly two years. The disqualification case registered against Senator Vawda on the plea of Qadir Mandokhail, Mian Faisal and Mian Asif Mahmood was first heard on February 3, 2020. The decision on the case was reserved for December 23, 2021.

Read more: One more PTI wicket down, Bilawal Bhutto reacts to Faisal Vawda disqualification

The petitioners maintained that Vawda did not declare his US citizenship in his nomination papers on a Karachi national assembly seat. Meanwhile, the Islamabad High Court gave a deadline of two months to the Election Commission to give a decision on the case. It maintained that it could not disqualify Faisal Vawda as he already resigned from his NA seat earlier.

However, the IHC remarked, “There are consequences of submitting a false affidavit according to the order of the Supreme Court of Pakistan”, adding that the ECP should decide what to do about Faisal Vawda’s alleged false affidavit.

Read more: “Can’t disqualify Faisal Vawda as he already resigned from NA”, declares IHC

Vawda gave his resignation from his National Assembly seat in March 2021. The PTI legislator also filed a petition before the Sindh High Court to adjourn the ECP’s decision on his disqualification case.