Islamabad, Feb. 15 (TNS): Chief Justice of Pakistan said that he will not accept a crook heading a political party and ruling the country and prayed to the Almighty to not let that happen.
A three-judge bench, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar and comprising Justice Faisal Arab and Justice Ijazul Ahsan, resumed on Thursday the hearing of a case challenging Elections Act, 2017 – a part of which paved way for former prime minister Nawaz Sharif to head the ruling party despite his disqualification as a member of parliament.
“God forbid if a thief becomes a party head… a disqualified person would make parliamentarians do things which he can’t do himself,” Justice Nisar remarked during the proceeding.
Presenting his arguments on the matter, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) counsel Salman Akram Raja said the newly-legislated electoral reforms act was not in contradiction to the Constitution and parliament can amend the Article 17 of the Constitution if deem necessary.
Whereas, Article 62 and 63 of the Constitution determine qualification and disqualification of the parliamentarians, said Raja, adding that Article 63(a) was about the head and members of political parties.
CJP Nisar said Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi considered deposed PM Nawaz Sharif as his premier. “We are observing what value party head possesses,” he added.
Advocate Raja said the entire parliament must have taken notice of that. On which, the CJP said: “We are also taking notice … parliament has the prerogative of legislating the laws, however, these laws must not be invalid.”
