The Islamabad High Court has disqualified Foreign Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif for life for holding a work permit in the United Arab Emirates and hiding his income, local media reported.
According to the reports, a three-member bench of judges made up of Justice Athar Minallah, Justice Aamer Farooq, and Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani, announced the verdict disqualifying Asif for life from holding public office.
The court said that Asif had been proven dishonest under the country’s constitution because he did not fulfil constitutional requirements set for a public office holder to disclose his all assets and sources of income.
The court removed him using Article 62 of the constitution, which stipulates parliamentarians must be “honest and righteous”.
“We have handed down this judgment with a heavy heart,” the Islamabad High Court said in its verdict. “Not only because a seasoned and accomplished political figure stands disqualified but more so because the dreams and aspirations of 342,125 registered voters have suffered a setback.”
The court has also ordered the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to issue a notification of Asif’s disqualification as member of the parliament.
The bench had reserved the verdict on April 10 on a petition filed by Usman Dar, a member of Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI).
Dar, who lost elections to Asif in 2013, filed the petition last year, seeking the disqualification of Asif for holding a work permit in the UAE and hiding his income.
The petition said that Asif was entitled to draw a salary which was his receivable asset.
However, since he did not declare it in the nomination papers while contesting the 2013 general elections, he is not eligible to be elected as a member of the National Assembly.
The petitioner further pointed out that Asif’s work permit was renewed on June 29, 2017, and is valid till June 28, 2019, which is a violation of his oath taken as member of the parliament.
Asif rejected the allegations and said that the petitioner had concealed from the court that the issue related to the work permit had been adjudicated by the Election Tribunal.
The minister’s disqualification is the third decision of this kind by the courts in less than a year.
Last year, the Supreme Court of Pakistan disqualified former prime minister Nawaz Sharif for life in a corruption case and concluded that he had been dishonest by not declaring his receivable salary as the chairman of the board of a company established in the UAE.
A lower court is still conducting the trial of the former premier on corruption allegations that were revealed in the so-called Panama Papers leak of financial data.
Earlier this year, the country’s apex court also disqualified Jahangir Tarin for hiding his assets abroad.
Dar declared the latest court decision a big victory for himself and his party, saying that the decision has set a precedent to bind all politicians disclose their assets and avoid illegal means of income.
“After today there is no place left for Khawaja Asif in Pakistan’s politics,” said Dar.
In response to the decision, Asif announced that he has started consultation with his legal adviser to challenge the decision at the Supreme Court.
It was not clear if he would have to relinquish control of the foreign ministry, since he could remain in charge as an adviser to the prime minister.
Asif, a stalwart of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N), has won all five elections contested for the lower house from 1993 to 2013.
He was among names tipped to replace Sharif when the three-time prime minister was disqualified by the Supreme Court.
Sharif and other top PML-N officials have complained that the judiciary is targeting the party ahead of the general election.
Analyst Gul Bukhari told DPA that the decision appeared to be part of a pattern to undermine Sharif and his party ahead of the elections, scheduled for late July or early August.
“This verdict has legal implications, which means Khawaja Asif cannot run in elections any more,” she said. “But there are political implications as well, there is going to be a huge wave of sympathy in favour of Sharif among voters.”
Sharif, speaking shortly after the verdict against Asif was announced, urged party workers to mobilise ahead of the elections no matter what happens in the courts.


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