LAHORE: One more petition against the controversial Election Act 2017 and re-election of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif as the PML-N president was filed in Lahore High Court on Saturday.
This time, Supreme Court Bar Association’s (SCBA) general secretary filed the petition, requesting the high court to strike down the Act which paved way for Sharif to head his party even after his life-time disqualification in the Panama Papers scandal.
The petition states Sharif cant not head the party after the July 28 disqualification verdict. The Act was bulldozed through the National Assembly in violation of the constitution, it argues.
Earlier, the LHC while hearing a similar petition had observed that it cannot set aside a law merely because it does not conform to moral values.
Chief Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, who headed a LHC bench, had observed that this court had no objection to hearing the petition against the Election Act, but similar cases were already pending in the top court, thus the petitioner should approach it instead.
Ishtiaq Chaudhry of PAT had filed a petition in the high court challenging the Election Bill 2017, a clause of which allows a disqualified lawmaker to hold office of a political party.
The Chief Justice remarked that courts do not decide cases on moral grounds, but following laws and the constitution.
Over half a dozen constitutional petitions have been filed in the apex court and high courts against the Election Bill 2017, which paved the way for Nawaz Sharif to head his party. The first petition was filed by Awami Muslim League (AML) chief Sheikh Rasheed in the Supreme Court.
