The petitioner seeking disqualification of Ishaq Dar has withdrawn the plea from the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), saying that he would approach a higher forum to pursue the case.
The petitioner, Advocate Azhar Siddique, had filed the plea with the ECP for disqualification of Ishaq Dar.
Azhar Siddique, through his assistant counsel, Muhammad Shoaib, withdrew his plea, saying that they would approach a higher forum for further pursuance.
The handwritten statement, submitted upon ECP’s directions, of the petitioner for withdrawal has stated, “It is respectfully submitted that I want to withdraw present petition with permission to file fresh if so needed. As the ECP is not a court and interpretation is involved in this case in view of judgments of the Supreme Court dated PLD 2018 SC 189, 2015 SCMR 1303, 2021 SCMR 1675, PLD 2018 Sindh 263, we may file an alternate remedy as well.”
ECP had on previous day reserved its verdict over disqualification of Ishaq Dar’s senate seat after his failure to take oath since March 2018. According to an ordinance promulgated by the president, in case of failure to take oath within 60 days, the seat would be declared vacant.
Dar, after a self-exile, returned to Pakistan five years later on Monday. Several Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) leaders including Mariam Nawaz, Javed Latif have criticized Miftah Ismail over his policies.
According to media reports, Dar had also undermined Miftah’s decision-making during his tenure as finance minister.
Dar’s arrest warrant was suspended by an accountability court after he had submitted a plea to stop the arrest and give him a chance to surrender before the court.
