Islamabad: Supreme Court Judge Ayesha Malik has said that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader Faisal Vawda has submitted an expired passport to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) as proof of his renunciation of the US nationality.
Justice Malik, who is part of a three-member bench headed by Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial, observed this during the hearing of an appeal filed by Vawda against his disqualification for life under Article 62(1)(f) of the Constitution.
In February, the ECP disqualified Vawda for concealing his US citizenship and directed him to return the salary and other benefits he had received as a minister and member of the National Assembly within two months. The ECP had also de-notified him as a senator.
During Wednesday’s hearing, Vawda’s counsel contended that the returning officer (RO) had seen Vawda’s revoked passport.
To this, Justice Malik replied that the revoked passport he was referring to was expired. She said the expired passport was submitted to the RO in 2018, but it had expired in 2015.
“When you get a new passport, the old one is stamped as cancelled,” Justice Malik said. “How can a cancellled passport be proof of renunciation of a nationality?” she asked.
“It is evident from different numbers that a new passport was issued after being long overdue,” she said.
