Petitions seeking Pakistan PM's disqualification dismissed

The Supreme Court of Pakistan Tuesday dismissed all petitions seeking the disqualification of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

Three identical petitions had been filed by Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, Advocate Gauhar Nawaz and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) leader Ishaq Khakwani which stated that Sharif had lied on the floor of the National Assembly on the issue of arbitration by the army, Dawn online reported.

The prime minister had told parliament that it was the Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) chief, Tahirul Qadri, and PTI chairman Imran Khan who had requested a meeting with Army Chief Gen. Raheel Sharif in order to broker a settlement with the government over the political crisis in the country.

Sharif had said he gave permission for the army chief to engage the two leaders and play the role of a mediator.

However, Imran Khan and Qadri had categorically rejected the premier's claim that they had invoked the army's help and had, in separate speeches, slammed the premier for "lying to the nation".

The military had later issued a short statement saying that it was playing the role of facilitator in the ongoing political crisis at the behest of the government.

A seven-member larger bench of the apex court, headed by Chief Justice Nasirul Mulk heard the case.

The premier's speech in parliament was also read out in the court.

The bench observed that the premier had not made a direct reference to the army and had only endorsed the opinion of Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan.

The bench also said that the petitioners could not seek the premier's disqualification as the matter did not concern them.

The court subsequently ordered the dismissal of all petitions seeking the premier's disqualification.