The court while accepting the appeal for hearing fixed the matter on May 7, at 1:30 pm which would be heard by a three-member bench comprising Justice Umer Ata Bandial, Justice Faisal Arab and Justice Sajjad Ali Shah.

Khawaja Asif pleaded that he had unintentionally failed to mention his foreign bank account in the nomination papers.

The PML-N leader, however, said that he had already declared his foreign bank account and UAE-based work permit even before a petition was filed against him.

The former foreign minister pleaded with the top court to strike down the Islamabad High Court verdict and subsequent ECP’s notification and restore his membership of National Assembly.

On April 26, Khawaja Asif was disqualified by the Islamabad High Court on the basis of holding an Abu Dhabi Iqama (work permit). Justice Athar Minallah heading a three-member bench, read out the order disqualifying the foreign minister under Article 62(1)(f).

Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani were the other members of the bench.

Copyright APP (Associated Press of Pakistan), 2018