Pak SC orders candidates to submit affidavits with nomination papers

Pakistan's Supreme Court today made it mandatory for aspiring candidates to submit an affidavit, detailing their assets, along with their nomination papers so that the votes can judge their integrity and veracity.

A five-member bench, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Saqib Nisar, resumed hearing of a petition filed by former National Assembly speaker Ayaz Sadiq challenging a Lahore High Court (LHC) verdict rejecting nomination papers, drafted by a parliamentary committee, for violating Article 62, 63 of the Constitution of Pakistan.

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) was also instructed during the hearing to prepare specimen of a affidavit and share it with the top court. General elections in Pakistan will be held on July 25.

 

Contesting candidates will be bound to submit the affidavit with the required information within three days.

Returning Officers were instructed by the bench to submit the affidavits of contesting candidates to the apex court. The court warned that strict action would be taken against lawmakers who submit false information, the Express Tribune reported.

"We need completely clean people [to contest] in the elections," Justice Nisar said, warning that contempt proceedings would follow if incorrect information was submitted.

People must know the integrity and veracity of the contesting individuals, he said.

The bench remarked that it will constitute a special bench on "how to conduct elections."

Justice Nisar said that as the "custodians of the Constitution", the apex court wanted transparency in the process.

The apex court had passed an interim order on June 3 suspending the LHC decision. The directives were passed by Justice Nisar "after considering the supremacy of the Parliament."

Justice Nisar and Justice Sheikh Azmat reiterated that the top court will not delay the July 25 polls.

The apex court had disqualified three-time prime minister Nawaz Sharif last year after a probe ordered by it on the Panama Papers found him guilty of not disclosing money from his son Hussain Nawaz's company in Dubai.