SC dismisses plea for President Alvi’s disqualification

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) Thursday dismissed a petition seeking disqualification of President Dr Arif Alvi and held that it is a constitutional requirement that an endorser of the presidential candidate must be a member of the Parliament.

A two-member bench of the apex court, headed by Justice Ijazul Ahsen, dismissed the petition seeking disqualification of President Alvi. Zahoor Mehdi, a citizen had filed a petition in the apex court, challenging the eligibility of President Alvi besides raising objections on the nomination paper filed for the slot of president of Pakistan.

He submitted that he had raised six objections on the nomination papers of Dr Arif Alvi, adding that the scrutiny of the president’s nomination papers was not carried out properly. The petitioner submitted that Arif Alvi was not eligible for the Presidency as he was under trial at the time of election for the slot of president.

He contended that his presidential election papers were rejected because he did not have an endorser. Mehdi further told the court that the country was currently in crises due to the appointment of an unqualified person as the president, and political parties were at odds with each other. Justice Ijazul Ahsen, however, told the petitioner that what political parties are doing was nothing to do with his case.

“Your nomination papers were not signed by an endorser and it is a constitutional requirement that an endorser must be a Member of Parliament,” Justice Ahsen remarked. Later, the court dismissed the petition.