ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court Tuesday suspended former finance minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar as member of the Senate.
An SC bench headed by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar issued the orders while hearing a petition moved by Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) candidate Nawazish Pirzada.
The petitioner had requested the apex court to suspend the Lahore High Court's judgment regarding the acceptance of Dar's nomination papers in the recent Senate elections, pleading that an absconder could not be elected to the member of Upper House.
Dar has been facing corruption charges in an accountability court, which has declared him absconder. Ishaq Dar, in his reply submitted through his counsel Salman Aslam Butt, said after the enactment of 18th Constitutional Amendment, there was no prohibition under the law that his client could not contest the Senate elections.
Dar was elected as senator from Punjab on March 3, 2018, as an independent candidate, backed by the PML-N, but is yet to take oath.
During the course of proceedings, the chief justice asked as to why Ishaq Dar did not appear in the court despite being summoned. Dar's counsel Nasir Bhutta replied that his client was unwell.
Justice Ijazul Ahsan remarked that the former finance minister seemed to healthy when he appeared on TV shows, but submitted medical reports when he was summoned by the court.
The court suspended Dar's membership of the Senate and adjourned the case.
During last hearing on Monday, a medical report was submitted to the court, stating that Dar had been suffering from left arm and chest pains resulting from a spinal issue in his neck and might require surgery, if his condition did not improve within a month.
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