PML-N to file review petition on Nawaz’s disqualification next week: sources

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) will file a review petition on the disqualification of Nawaz Sharif next week, sources informed Geo News.

PML-N's legal team is preparing the review petition.

A citizen on Monday also filed a petition in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) challenging the notification issued by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for Nawaz Sharif’s disqualification.

Shahid Orakzai said in his petition that none of the petitioners in the case against Nawaz Sharif had requested that the former prime minister be disqualified for failing to disclose his un-withdrawn receivables constituting assets from UAE-based Capital FZE in his nominations papers for the 2013 General Election.

Therefore, the petition argues, the Supreme Court should not have ruled on a point not demanded by the petitioners.

Orakzai also prayed the court that the notification be suspended and the election process be halted.

Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was disqualified from holding public office by the Supreme Court under Article 62 (1)(f) of the Constitution in the Panama Papers case verdict.

Announcing its verdict, the five-member bench unanimously disqualified Nawaz Sharif for failing to disclose his un-withdrawn receivables constituting assets from UAE-based Capital FZE in his nominations papers for the 2013 General Election, stating that this meant he was not ‘honest’ and ‘truthful’, as per the Constitution.

In the verdict, all five judges ruled to send references against Nawaz Sharif, his children Maryam, Hussain and Hasan, son-in-law Captain (retd) Safdar and Ishaq Dar to an accountability court.

The court also ordered the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to file a reference against the accused in an accountability court in six weeks and directed for the trial to be wrapped up within six months.