A five-member bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar and comprising Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed, Justice Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Justice Sajjad Ali Shah heard the 17 appeals against the disqualification of lawmakers.
During the course of proceedings, Attorney General for Pakistan Ashtar Ausaf Ali said no duration of disqualification is given in the Constitution. It is Parliament which can determine the time duration, he added.
He said that a declaration under Article 62(1)(f) does not carry a time limit, nor does it prescribes the mechanism for revisiting such a declaration. Therefore, till such time the Parliament makes such provisions, the declaration shall continue,” the AG added.
He said that the court would have to look into the matter on a case to case basis. Justice Ijazul Ahsan remarked that if a crime has been committed, the provision applies for life.
Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar asked if the time has not been determined for the disqualification, does it mean the subject has been disqualified for life.
The Attorney General responded that the parliament will have to look into it. The verdict was reserved after Attorney General Ashtar Ausaf completed his arguments.