Federation To Defend Sharif Brothers: SC Told

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ISLAMABAD: A government lawyer here Thursday apprised the Supreme Court of Pakistan that the Federation would defend Sharif Brothers in the eligibility case.

Deputy Attorney General Agha Tariq Mehmood said he had sought instructions from the Federation which was willing to defend Nawaz Sharif and Shahbaz Sharif in the case. However, he prayed to the court to grant him time as numerous constitutional matters were involved in the case and he wanted to present his arguments in detail.

A three-member bench comprising Justice Moosa K. Leghari, Justice Zawwar Hussain Jaffery and Justice Sheikh Hakim Ali adjourned the hearing till January 6 and would proceed after declaring Sharif brothers as ex-parte to the case due to their continuous absence.

The bench is dealing with the pleas filed by the Federation and the Government of Punjab against Lahore High Court’s decision of June 24, in which it disqualified PML-N Quaid Mian Mohammad Nawaz Sharif from contesting the elections while conditionally allowed PML-N President Mian Shahbaz Sharif to hold the office of Chief Executive of the province.

In response to a court query, Akram Sheikh and AK Dogar, counsels for the respondents, expressed no objection to adjournment.

They said as the case was being defended by the Federation, which was also a petitioner, it might be given time for putting forward their detailed arguments.

However, Ahmed Raza Qasuri, counsel for Khurram Ali Shah, who had challenged candidature of Mian Mohammad Nawaz Sharif, opposed the adjournment plea and said that the important case had dragged on because of one pretext or the other. He said it should not be adjourned for such a long time.

A full bench of Lahore High Court comprising Justice Abdul Shakoor Paracha, Justice M. Bilal Khan and Justice Syed Shabbar Raza Rizvi in June had allowed two petitions against Sharif brothers’ eligibility to contest elections and hold offices.

Noor Elahi, a rival candidate of PML-N Chief Mian Nawaz from NA-123 Lahore and Syed Khurram Shah had challenged the candidature of Nawaz Sharif.

Syed Khurram Shah, a rival candidate of PML-N President Mian Shahbaz Sharif and Shahid Orakzai had also filed petitions in Lahore High Court seeking disqualification of Chief Minister Punjab.

The same bench had allowed Mian Shahbaz Sharif to hold the office of CM Punjab provisionally till a final decision on the petitions.



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