Pak poll panel soon to decide Nawaz Sharif’s fate

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has set September 28 as the next hearing date to decide the fate of various petitions seeking disqualification of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, officials said.

The ECP officials said that cases filed by the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) will not be decided until the respondents seek another adjournment or club these petitions with other eight disqualification references sent by the Speaker of National Assembly Ayaz Sadiq, which were also scheduled for the same date.

On September 6, the ECP had adjourned till September 28 the hearing of various disqualification petitions including those linked to the Panama Papers.

The counsel of the Prime Minister, Salman Butt, pleaded before the court for additional time to study the case owing to non-availability of the case papers.

The lawyer representing the Opposition parties opposed the plea, saying it would cause further delay.

The disqualification references were filed by chief of Awami Muslim League (AML) Sheikh Rashid Ahmed and Yasmin Rashid, a former candidate of PTI, who contested elections against Mr Sharif during the last general elections.

The ECP also summoned Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf chief Imran Khan on September 28 on a petition seeking his disqualification based on alleged false assets claims and giving false information in his election nomination papers. Petitioner Shahnawaz Dhiloan had sought disqualification of Mr Khan for allegedly concealing his offshore company.