ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Election Commission on Tuesday decided not to disqualify Interior Minister Rehman Malik as a legislator, DawnNews reported.

Speaking to Dawn.com, Secretary Election Commisison Afzal Khan said that no further proceedings will be conducted against Malik. Khan said the decision was taken during a meeting of the ECP, chaired by Chief Election Commissioner Fakhruddin G Ebrahim, following a reference sent by Deputy Chairman Senate Sabir Baloch regarding Malik’s disqualification.

The reference states that there was no question of Malik’s disqualification.

Last month, the Supreme Court had disqualified 11 members of parliament and provincial assemblies, for holding dual nationalities — forbidden for lawmakers by Pakistani law — but had spared Mr Malik, leaving the ball in the the Senate chairman’s court to file a reference against him to the Election Commission within 30 days deciding on his disqualification.

The only sentence the minister received was a court observation that he could not be considered sagacious, righteous, honest and ameen.

Earlier today, Malik also filed a review petition against the SC’s sentence. Malik said that the case was taken up against him on the request of an absconder and proclaimed offender Syed Mahmood Akhtar Naqvi. Malik also said that neither was he issued a notice, nor was he given the chance to be heard in court.