Petition challenging Nawaz’s party presidency dismissed

ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar on Tuesday vowed to maintain the dignity of the country’s highest court. He said the limits of the apex court’s constitutional jurisdiction would be determined, asserting that nobody can pressurize it.

The chief justice (CJ) stated this as a three-member bench headed by him resumed hearing in the identical petitions challenging the controversial Election Act 2017 that enabled the former prime minister Nawaz Sharif to become party head.

Nine petitioners, including PTI Chairman Imran Khan, Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed of Awami Muslim League (AML), PPP secretary general Syed Nayyar Hussain Bukhari, MNA Jamshed Dasti, advocate Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutta and Pakistan Justice Party, had moved the Supreme Court (SC) the Election Act 2017 that enabled a disqualified person to head a political party.

On Tuesday, PML-N leader Raja Zafrul Haq told the court that they learnt about the case quite late, last Friday, hence they should be given at least two weeks for preparation.

A petitioner Zulfiqar Bhutta, however, requested the court to decide the case at the earliest as some days are very important for the country. He said a UN team is arriving in Pakistan for investigation.

At this the chief justice asked him to avoid saying irrelevant things in the court only for the sake of making news. The CJ also noted that next time the petitioner will not be heard at first number.

Meanwhile, the court rejected the plea of Barrister Farogh Nasim, counsel for Sheikh Rasheed, seeking suspension of the specific provision that enabled the former prime minister Nawaz Sharif to become head of the PML-N.

The CJ, however, asked the barrister to tell court how could a stay be granted on a legislation made by the Parliament.

The CJ wondered how could a person be stopped from becoming party president without suspending the law which has allowed him to be elected.