ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) will file a petition in the Supreme Court of Pakistan (SCP) to revisit the decision of party supremo Nawaz Sharif’s disqualification to hold public office and the post of party president, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah confirmed.
The apex court had disqualified Nawaz in the Panama Papers case on July 28, 2017, barring him to hold any public office for life for hiding unpaid salary from his son in the Panama case.
A year after, the court ruled on petitions challenging the Elections Act 2017, that a person disqualified under Articles 62 and 63 cannot serve as the head of a political party.
The interior minister, while speaking in an interview, said that the PML-N would request Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial not to be a part of the bench that hears the review plea — as the top judge is considered “biased” against the ruling party.
Meanwhile, he said that Nawaz’s return was subject to his health and polls. When asked, the minister reiterated that the general elections will be held in October.
The Supreme Court Review of Judgments and Orders Bill, 2023, came into force Friday after President Arif Alvi’s assent. The law states that for reviewing a suo motu judgement, a bigger bench — than the one that issued the order — will hear the case.
“In case of judgments and orders of the SC in exercise of its original jurisdiction under Article 184 of the Constitution, the scope of review on both facts and law, shall be the same as an appeal under Article 185 of the Constitution,” the law reads.
However, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar is of the view said that the former premier and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) estranged leader Jahangir Khan Tareen cannot benefit from the new law regarding the review of judgments.
Tarar said that the Supreme Court (Review of Judgments and Orders) Bill 2023 will not benefit Nawaz and Tareen as they both have exercised their right of review against their sentences.
The law minister also said that the court’s verdict was considered the final one under Article 184(3), stating that “there is no room for revision or curative review in our law”.
“Under the new law, common people would be given relief under Article 184(3),” he added.
Read more: SCP adjourns hearing of ECP review plea after AGP objects to bench under new law
