Rehman Malik once again among disqualified MPs

The Supreme Court on Thursday ruled that members of the parliament (MPs) holding dual nationalities were not eligible to hold any public office and declared all such lawmakers as disqualified. A three-member bench of the Supreme Court of Pakistan headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry announced the verdict. The bench announced that 11 MPs including Senator Rehman Malik, PML-N MNA Muhammad Jamil Malik, PPP MPA Dr Amna Buttar, MNA Zahid Iqbal, MNA Farah Naz Ispahani, MPA Muhammad Akhlaq and MPA Dr Ahmad Ali Shah have been found ineligible from being members of Majlis-e-Shoora (Parliament) and Provincial Assemblies because of their disqualification under Article 63(1)(c) of the Constitution. All the Members of the Parliament/Provincial Assemblies noted above had made false declarations before the Election Commission while filing their nomination papers and as such appear to be guilty of corrupt practice in terms, the bench stated. The court remarked that Rehman Malik is directed to refund all monetary benefits drawn by him upto 11.7.2012 for the period during which he occupied the public office in the same manner as directed in the case of other Parliamentarians noted above. The Election Commission was directed to initiate legal proceedings against the lawmakers who had violated their oaths. The apex court directed the ECP to examine the cases of the Parliamentarians and the members of Provincial Assemblies, individually, by obtaining fresh declaration on oath from all of them.