All four references against PM rejected

ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly’s Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq on Monday rejected all the four references seeking Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s disqualification from the NA membership for allegedly violating articles 62 and 63 of the Constitution in the wake of revelations made in the Panama Papers.

As per the articles, only a righteous and pious person can be a member of a legislative assembly. The NA speaker had received eight references, out of which four were filed against Nawaz Sharif, two against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan, one against Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) chief Mehmood Khan Achakzai and one against PTI leader Jehangir Tareen.

Ayaz Sadiq rejected and returned the Awami Muslim League (AML) chief Sheikh Rashid Ahmed’s reference, stating that his 182-page reference contains insufficient evidence against the prime minister, thus, he cannot be disqualified.

Later, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) received eight references for disqualification of the prime minister, Imran Khan, PTI leaders Jehangir Tareen and PkMAP chiefMehmood Khan Achakzai.

The four references filed against the prime minister were rejected by Ayaz Sadiq. The references filed against the prime minister by PTI, Sheikh Rashid and former Member of National Assembly Umar Farooq were rejected for lack of evidence. Sources said that the Speaker rejected one reference filed against PTI chief Imran Khan but forwarded another reference filed by the PML-N leader Danyal Aziz.

The speaker also rejected a reference filed against Mehmood Khan Achakzai.Opposition parties have mainly accused the PM of concealing his assets abroad from the ECP and buying and possessing wealth earned through illegal means.

References against Imran and Tareen were submitted by the PML-N’s Danyal Aziz, Talal Chaudhry and Maiza Hameed on August 5. Imran was accused of concealing details about the offshore companies while Tareen was accused of concealing details of his assets in the nomination papers for elections.

Danyal Aziz in his reference provided evidence that Imran Khan, while declaring his assets, showed the 30-kanal land in Bani Gala as a ‘gift’. When analysed carefully, it turns out that the land was sold by Jemima Khan and Imran Khan purchased it.

Under the Constitution, if the speaker fails to forward a reference to the ECP, then it is automatically submitted within 30 days. The ECP will consider the references sent by the speaker in a few days.

Additional Secretary Election Commission Fida Muhammad confirmed receiving the  references sent from the speaker’s office and said the law and the Constitution will be pursued for the ruling. He also confirmed receiving a report regarding dismissal of six references by the speaker’s office.

Speaker Ayaz Sadiq said he had sent all the eight disqualification references to the Election Commission.“I took the decision to send eight references for action to the Election Commission on the basis of documents and under rules and added nothing from my side,” the speaker said while responding to accusations of PTI member Shafqat Mehmood, who accused Ayaz Sadiq of acting according to the wishes of the PML-N government.

He said that he sent all the eight references, including those which do not raise question of disqualification to the Election Commission.The speaker said that his office was not an investigation agency. “It is up to the Election Commission and court to take the final decision,” Ayaz Sadiq said, adding that the speaker also has to apply his mind while registering his remarks on references.Meanwhile, talking informally to media persons, the speaker said that the documents attached with the four references did not establish any link of the prime minister with those papers.