Supreme Court Revokes Faisal Vawda's Lifetime Disqualification In Dual Nationality Case

The Supreme Court on Friday revoked former Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Faisal Vawda's lifetime disqualification as a lawmaker after he accepted misstating his dual nationality and apologised

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 25th Nov, 2022 ) :The Supreme Court on Friday revoked former Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Faisal Vawda's lifetime disqualification as a lawmaker after he accepted misstating his dual nationality and apologised.

A three-member bench headed by Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial and comprising Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah and Justice Ayesha A. Malik issued the verdict on Faisal Vawda's petition. The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had disqualified Faisal Vawda in February for concealing his US citizenship.

During the course of proceedings, the bench observed that Vawda stated before the court that he regretted the claim of renunciation of US nationality in his nomination papers for elections in Karachi's NA-249 constituency on June 7, 2018.

The former Federal minister appeared before the court and tendered apologise after top court gave him two options either confess his mistake and accept disqualification under clause 63 (1)- C or the court would proceed under clause 62 (1)-F.

Accepting his apology, the apex court ruled that Vawda was disqualified under Article 63(1)(c) and not Article 62(1)(f).

Vawda would remain disqualified till 2023 and was eligible to contest the next general or Senate elections, the court order said.

The court order stated that Faisal Vawda stated that he had already applied for such renunciation before the date of filing the nomination papers.

His certificate for the loss of US nationality was issued to him on June 25, 2018.

Faisal Vawda said that the certificate was issued on June 25, 2018 while he vacated his NA seat on March 30, 2021.

The chief justice while addressing Faisal Vawda said that he remained a member of the NA for three years. He said that the court did not intend to summon and embarrass him but he misled everyone for three years.

The chief justice directed him to apologise before the court and say that he was resigning as a senator.

"If you apologise and resign with good intent, the disqualification will be for five years. Otherwise, proceedings under Article 62(1)(f) will be carried out," the CJP told Vawda.

Following the CJP's remarks, Vawda stated before the court that he was tendering an unconditional apology. He said he did not intend to give a false statement and would accept the court's decision.

Subsequently, the court observed in its order that he (Vawda) regretted and accepted that he stand disqualified from the term of the assembly until 2023.

The court directed Vawda to submit his resignation to the Senate chairperson and concluded that he was qualified to contest the next general or Senate elections.