SC revokes Faisal Vawda’s lifetime disqualification

The Supreme Court of Pakistan lifted Faisal Vawda’s lifelong ban after he offered an unconditional apology before the court on Friday.

A three-member apex court bench, led by Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial and consisting of Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah and Justice Ayesha Malik heard Vawda’s appeal for lifelong disqualification order from the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) which was issued on February 9.

The chief justice summons him to court today to give Vawda a chance to own his mistake and apologies for lying to the courts for three long years.

The CJP reminded Vawda that he had been deceiving everyone for the last three years as soon as the hearing got underway today. He ordered that the former lawmaker apologize in front of the judge and resign from the Senate.

The former federal minister told the court today that he sincerely apologizes and that he will take any penalty that is imposed on him.

The Supreme Court, while accepting his apology, determined that Vawda was ineligible to run for office under Article 63(1)(c), not Article 62(1)(f), the same provision that was invoked to permanently bar former prime minister Nawaz Sharif from contesting elections.