A seven-member Supreme Court (SC) bench will take up the issue of lifetime disqualification of lawmakers tomorrow (Tuesday), Aaj News reported.

Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa will head the larger bench that also includes Justice Mansoor Ali Shah, Justice Yahya Afridi, Justice Amin-ud-din Khan, Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail, Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar, and Justice Musarrat Hilali.

The case will determine whether people disqualified under Article 62(1)(f) of the Constitution could contest polls in light of the amendments in the Elections Act 2017.

A three-judge committee that included CJP, Justice Sardar Tariq Masood, and Justice Ijazul Ahsan constituted the bench under the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Act 2023.

It may also determine whether Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif would be able to contest the upcoming general elections scheduled for February 8.

Nawaz was disqualified for life in 2017 under Under Article 62(1) (f).

According to Article 62(1) (f) of the Constitution, a person shall not be qualified to be elected or chosen as a member of Majlis-e-Shoora (Parliament) “unless — he is sagacious, righteous, non-profligate, honest and ameen, there being no declaration to the contrary by a court of law”.

In the previous Shehbaz Sharif-led government, amendments were made in the Elections Act 2017, limiting the disqualification of lawmakers to five years.