Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa expressed concerns on Thursday, stating that imposing a lifelong disqualification from parliament goes “against Islam.” This remark came during a Supreme Court hearing addressing the issue of lifetime disqualification of lawmakers under Article 62(1)(F) of the Constitution.
The seven-member bench, led by CJP Isa, sought clarity on whether the disqualification period for a lawmaker should be five years or a lifetime ban, as outlined in the aforementioned article that defines criteria for contesting elections.
The hearing aimed to address contradictions in the Election Act, 2017, and a previous Supreme Court verdict.
The case, initiated by a petition from former PML-N provincial lawmaker Sardar Meer Badshah Khan Qaisrani challenging his lifetime disqualification in 2007 over a fake degree, prompted the apex court to resolve the constitutional issue swiftly to avoid confusion for returning officers handling nomination papers for upcoming elections.
The CJP emphasized the importance of settling the matter conclusively during the hearing.
