NA speaker rejects references against ministers, MNAs

ISLAMABAD: National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq has rejected disqualification references filed by a group of lawyers from Lahore against Minister for Defence, Water and Power Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Minister of State for Capital Administration and Development Division Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, parliamentary secretaries Maiza Hamid, Mohsin Shahnawaz Ranjha and MNAs Muhammad Talal Chaudhry, Daniyal Aziz and five others.

Meanwhile, five more disqualification references have been submitted separately by the lawyers against  Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, federal ministers Professor Ahsan Iqbal, Khawaja Saad Rafiq, state ministers Marriyum Aurangzaib and Chaudhary Abid Shair Ali on the same ground. 

The applicant contented that all the members including the prime minister had criticised the joint investigation team (JIT) formed by the Supreme Court in PanamaLeakes case. This act was contemptuous and they had committed contempt of court. Hence they stood disqualified for retaining their berths in Parliament.

The speaker after examining the applications and report submitted by his secretariat’s section concerned discarded the pleas taken in the references by the movers.  The sources told The News here Monday that the Speaker would examine the references against Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and four ministers this week for disposal and they were likely to be rejected without further query as the ground referred to in these references was identical to those which had been rejected. 

Continued on page 9 The sources said that Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq had concluded in the earlier references that they did not merit to be referred to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for further consideration and hearing since they lacked material for such consideration. The Speaker didn’t summon the movers and took the decision in the light of the report submitted by his secretariat after studying them thoroughly.  It would be pertinent to mention here that in case the Speaker does not dispose of a reference within 30 days of its receipt, it is consigned to the ECP for hearing and further action.