ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered the Election Commission (EC) of Pakistan to submit record of all the electoral constituencies from where Punjab Chief Minister Mian Shahbaz Sharif contested election.
The court also directed Mian Shahbaz Sharif to file a concise statement by February 19 on the petition, challenging his electoral eligibility. A three-member bench of the apex court headed by Justice Javed Iqbal is hearing an appeal, challenging the eligibility of the Punjab chief minister.
Shahid Orakzai had challenged the eligibility of Mian Shahbaz Sharif in the apex court, seeking his removal on the grounds that no person can represent more than two provincial assembly seats at a time.
In his petition, he had contended that Shahbaz Sharif won election on PP-48 Bhakkar and became the Punjab chief minister. Later on, he contended that without resigning from that constituency, Shahbaz Sharif also contested election on PP-10 Rawalpindi and was elected unopposed but later on resigned from this constituency.
Shahid Orakzai submitted that according to election laws, if a person is elected from a new constituency, his earlier seat falls vacant. As his seat of PP-48 Bhakkar is still vacant therefore he is not entitled to hold the office of chief minister, Orakzai submitted.
The court while hearing the case, ordered Election Commission of Pakistan to submit record of all the electoral constituencies from where Mian Shahbaz Sharif contested the election. The court also directed Khwaja Haris, counsel for Mian Shahbaz Sharif to file concise statement on the petition and issued notice to Attorney General for Pakistan Khan to appear before the court on February 19. During the course of the hearing Justice Javed Iqbal observed that instead of granting leave on the petition the court will decide the case in-depth.
