The Supreme Court of Pakistan finally ended the lifetime disqualification of lawmakers, undoing its previous order of barring politicians from running for public office ever, which energizes hopes for several political bigwigs who are eyeing to contest polls on February 8. A seven-member larger bench of the Ape Court declared with a 6-1 majority that no person can be barred for a lifetime from running in elections if they are disqualified under Article 62 (1)(f), setting aside its landmark judgment in the multiple cases including Samiullah Baloch, Mian Nawaz Sharif, Jahangir Tareen, and others.
The months-long quandary and political haphazard ended with the Apex court decision regarding lifelong disqualification of the lawmakers, if someone was convicted under Article 62 (1) (f) after the larger bench comprising of seven judges, annulled the previous judgment of the Supreme Court that awarded a permanent disqualified to Samiullah Baloch in 2018. Interestingly, a five-member bench of the apex court disqualified the PML-N Supremo Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif for not fulfilling the conditions of Sadiq and Ameen under article 62 (1) (f) in the Panama case. Meanwhile, another bench of the apex court also stamped the Istikham-e-Pakistan party co-founder Jahangir Tareen with disqualification for public offices on similar charges in December 2017.
Historically, the adjudicators are bound by their oath to issue verdicts according to the constitution and the legislation passed by the parliament. No self-assumption, good belief, and religious code ever influence the decisions of the top adjudicators. The restriction imposed by Article 62 (1)(f) of the Constitution for the eligibility of candidates for public representatives serves the country’s need and public interest for honest, upright, truthful, and trustworthy political leadership that deals in sensitive, national security and economic affairs and steers the nation through the crucial periods. Unfortunately, the modern-age adjudicators give more preferences to accused rights instead of moral values, the country’s needs, and public interests otherwise no ablution could ever wash the stains of dishonesty and recline of any individual including a high-caliber leader and a layman. The incumbent judges have given the nation the idea of getting whitewashed experienced leadership to run the affairs of the country. Hopefully, no political party will challenge the court’s decision because this laundry would also work for the shower of the PTI leaders, the Chaudharies, and several other saviours of the nation in the days to come.
