A IHC division bench comprising consisting of Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani and Justice Saman Rafat Imtiaz has suspended the verdict of the single bench, paving the way for ten years disqualification of Faiq Ali Jamali in a corruption case.
ISLAMABAD: (UrduPoint/Pakistan Point News-Jan 4th, 2024) The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday restored the 10-year disqualification period for the convicts sentenced under the National Accountability law over charges of corruption.
IHC division bench consisting of Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani and Justice Saman Rafat Imtiaz passed the order. The bench suspended the verdict given by a single bench.
The single bench in its verdict had held that the disqualification period spanned five years instead of 10.
The division bench announced the verdict on the plea moved by the NAB officials challenging reduction of the ten years disqualification of its convict to five years.
Muhammad Rafi, the Senior Special Prosecutor NAB, appeared before bench and submitted that it about Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) politician Faiq Ali Jamali's sentence being upheld by the Supreme Court.
After the IHC verdict, the ten years disqualification of Jamali has been restored.
The development took place a day after the PML-N gave the ticket to Jamali to contest the fast approaching general elections for a seat in the Balochistan provincial assembly.
The prosecutor told the court that under the NAB law, the disqualification would be for 10 years.
On Jan 1, the NAB approached the IHC in a matter seeking permission for persons convicted under the NAB Ordinance to contest the February 8 general elections.
The anti-graft body asked the court to suspend its single bench decision and restore the 10-year disqualification period for the NAB convicts to contest elections.
NAB submitted that the convicts under the NAB law have been referring to the decision of the single bench of the high court for contesting the upcoming elections.
It asked the court to suspend the impugned decision on the intra-court appeal.
