KARACHI - The Sindh High Court on Thursday issued notice to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s newly elected MNA Faisal Vawda sought reply on a petition seeking his disqualification for allegedly holding dual nationality.
A division bench headed by Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar conducted hearing on a petition filed by Pakistan People Party (PPP) leader Qadir Khan Mandokhel seeking disqualification of PTI candidate Faisal Vawda.
Law Officer Abdullah Hinjra appeared on behalf of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and mentioned the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA)’s record which states that Mr Vawda holds US nationality.
A list of the elected representatives who hold dual nationalities has been submitted before the court.
The court has directed the ECP to submit a report regarding Vawda’s dual nationality. The court has directed the ECP to approach the foreign ministry FIA to investigate Vawda’s alleged foreign nationality and overseas properties.
The court after hearing the arguments has directed the respondents to submit their reply by September 11.
Qadir Khan Mandokhel has claimed that Vawda has a foreign passport as well as bank accounts and property abroad and requested the court to disqualify him.
The petitioner submitted that the NA-249 winner did not declare his Unites States citizenship and concealed foreign properties and bank accounts in the nomination papers and affidavit for the July 25 general elections.
Qadir Khan Mandokhel has also submitted that Mr Vawda had declared his properties bankrupt in UK, UAE and Malysia as well.
The plaintiff has stated that PTI leader who is a billionaire but did not pay any kind of income tax in 2015. Mandokhel also submitted that Faisal Vawda still holds US nationality as he did not file his statement about the withdrawal of US nationality in the nomination paper.
PTI’s Faisal Vawda won from NA-249 in July 25 general elections. PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif emerged as a runner-up in the polls.
He secured 34,626 votes to Vawda’s 35,349 votes.