Pakistan: Minister Faisal Vawda disqualified by Election Com miission

Pakistan: Minister Faisal Vawda disqualified by Election Com miission

1 Min
South Asian Digest

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has disqualified for life Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Faisal Vawda from parliament for submitting a false affidavit.

According to the decision announced on Wednesday, Vawda, who resigned from his MNA seat to become a senator in elections last year, was also told to return all the perks and privileges he received as a member of the National Assembly.

The PTI senator was disqualified by the election watchdog for violating Article 62(1)(f) which pertains to being “sadiq (truthful) and “amin” (honest).

In its decision, the ECP said the PTI leader through his conduct made himself suspicious in the eyes of the commission. It said Vawda had cast a vote in the Senate election as an MNA and then went on to contest the Senate polls himself.

“The decision of Faisal Vawda to contest Senate elections after tendering his resignation as an MNA was dubious,” the ECP said, adding that the notification of his appointment as a member of the Senate will be withdrawn as well.

The ECP had on December 24, last year, reserved its verdict on petitions registered against PTI Senator Faisal Vawda calling for his disqualification due to concealing his dual nationality.

Qadir Khan Mandokhel, Mian Faisal and Mian Asif Mehmood subsequently filed petitions in the ECP on January 21, 2020, seeking Vawda’s disqualification.

A citizen, Dost Ali, also filed a similar petition in 2020 challenging Vawda’s election as a member of the National Assembly.

The petition stated that when Vawda filed his nomination papers for contesting elections, he held dual nationality as he was a US citizen as well.
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2342730/ecp-disqualifies-vawda-for-life-in-dual-nationality-case