Vawda stands exposed, showed expired passport to RO: SC

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court Wednesday questioned how a candidate while contesting an election could show an expired passport to a returning officer as evidence of renouncing his foreign nationality. A three-member bench of the apex court, headed by Chief Justice Umer Ata Bandial and comprising Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah and Justice Ayesha A Malik, heard the appeal of PTI leader Faisal Vawda, challenging his life-time disqualification.

Wasim Sajjad, counsel for Fiasal Vawda, while arguing before the court, submitted that the returning officer (RO) was satisfied after reviewing the expired US passport of the petitioner.

However, Justice Ayseha A Malik, another member of the bench, said that the passport on which the learned counsel was relying upon had expired in 2015 and was shown to the returning officer (RO) in 2018. The judge said that upon receiving the new passport, the older one was stamped as expired. “How can one show an expired passport as evidence for renouncing his foreign nationality?” Justice Ayesha A Malik questioned.

Chief Justice Umer Ata Bandial said that the issue has become very serious while Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah observed that another lie of the petitioner (Vawda) has been exposed. Barrister Wasim Sajjad contended that the petitioner in his affidavit had clearly mentioned that he did not possess a passport from any other country.

Justice Ayesha A Malik said that the registration number of the passport available on the record is different from the expired one, which means that after the expiry of the old passport, the petitioner was issued a new one.

Wasim Sajjad again raised the question of the jurisdiction of Election Commission and said that it was not the competent forum and did not have the powers to disqualify a member of parliament for life.

“But the high court is empowered to disqualify a legislator for life,” Justice Mansoor Ali Shah told the counsel for the petitioner. Later, the court adjourned the hearing for two weeks after Wasim Sajjad sought more time for preparation. However, Justice Mansoor Ali Shah noted that even after a week, the learned counsel for the petitioner will not be able to find answers to their questions.