SC dismisses disqualification petition, allows Zulfi Bukhari to work as PM’s assistant

The Supreme Court (SC) dismissed on Wednesday a petition seeking the disqualification of Zulfi Bukhari as Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Special Assistant on Overseas Pakistanis and allowed him to continue on his post.

The bench, headed by the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Saqaib Nisar and comprising Judge Ijazul Ahsan and Judge Umar Atta Bandial, took up the case today. The petitioner told the court that Bukhari was working as a minister.

He said that since the top court had ruled that persons with dual nationality could not be posted on important government positions, the same applies to Bukhari. The petitioner added that Bukhari was signing foreign agreements which was the job of a minister. Aitzaz Ahsan, Bukhari's counsel, replied that his client had not claimed the status of a state minister, local media reported.

The CJP dismissed the disqualification petition against Bukhari and said that if he claimed the status of a minister, then the top court will look into the matter.

On September 18, the close friend of PM Khan was appointed as the premier's Special Assistant on Overseas Pakistanis & Human Resource Development.