ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Khawaja Mohammad Asif on Tuesday moved an application to the Islamabad High Court (IHC) seeking time to file a reply to a petition seeking his disqualification for “not disclosing his job in a UAE Company”.

An IHC bench consisting of Justice Aamer Farooq, Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb was hearing the petition filed by an activist of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Usman Dar.

The bench earlier last month had sought para-wise comments from Mr Asif and adjourned the hearing for four weeks.

When the bench resumed hearing on Tuesday, the counsel for Khawaja Asif informed the court that since the foreign minister was out of the country for medical treatment, therefore, he could not file reply to the petition.

Upon counsel’s request, the bench adjourned the hearing till Nov 13 with a direction to Mr Asif to submit reply by next date of hearing.

During the hearing, Mr Dar’s counsel adopted before the court that Mr Asif was working in a foreign company which was against the sanctity of his oath he took as federal minister.

He further said that Mr Asif did not declare the job and the salary in his nomination papers before contesting the election from NA-110.

Dar sought disqualification of Mr Asif under Articles 62 and 63 of the Constitution, alleging that the foreign minister did not declare details of his employment contract with a UAE-based company and also concealed the salary details.

The counsel contended that the foreign minister might be de-seated under Representation of People Act for not being honest and sagacious. He submitted before the court code of conduct for the ministers of other countries according to which after taking oath, a minister cannot work for any other organisation.

The petition claimed that Mr Asif had been an employee of Mech and Elec Co LLC (IMECL) since 2011 where he was working as a special adviser. It said that Mr Asif was a full-time employee of IMECL and as per the employment contract his salary was 50,000 UAE dirhams per month.

The petition said that Mr Asif was entitled to draw salary which was his receivable asset; however, since he did not declare it in the nomination form while contesting the 2013 general elections from NA-110, he did not qualify to remain a member of the National Assembly.

Published in Dawn, October 18th, 2017