ISLAMABAD: A three-member bench of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) headed by Justice Athar Minallah on Tuesday reserved its verdict on a petition seeking disqualification of Foreign Minister Khawaja Mohammad Asif for holding an Iqama (work permit)of the United Arab Emirates.

The petition, filed by Usman Dar of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), said that Mr Asif was entitled to draw a salary which was his receivable asset; however, since he did not declare it in his nomination form while contesting the election from NA-110 in 2013, he did not qualify to remain a member of the National Assembly.

The petition pointed out that the Iqama was renewed on June 29, 2017, and it was valid till June 28, 2019, which established that in spite of being a federal minister, Mr Asif “intends to surreptitiously and secretly continue with his full-time employment with IMECL in violation of his oath of office under the Constitution of Pakistan”.

Petition points out that the minister’s Iqama is valid till June 28 next year

According to the petition, Mr Asif was not only a full-time employee of the IMECL in 2013 when he was holding the portfolio of federal minister for water and power, but also in the past while the PML-N was in the coalition government of the Pakistan Peoples Party, he was a federal minister till the time his party parted ways with the PPP.

He concealed his job and right to receive salary while filing nomination papers for both terms, it added.

Earlier, Mr Asif submitted a reply to the petition saying that the petitioner had concealed from the court that the issue related to Iqama had not only be been adjudicated by the Election Tribunal but the Supreme Court also decided this case in his favour.

It said that the petitioner had relied upon all those documents which Mr Asif had already submitted to the returning officer at the time of filing of nomination papers in 2013.

It further said that the petitioner had approached the high court by concealing material facts and his conduct and motive are based on mala fides.

According to Mr Asif’s reply, till the tax year 2011-12 he received 50,000 UAE Dirhams and declared the amount as foreign income in his nomination papers.

During Monday’s hearing, upon the court’s query, the counsel for Mr Asif said that his client has declared all his foreign income, Iqama and other relevant details in the assets declaration form while filing nomination papers to contest the 2013 general elections.

Published in Dawn, April 11th, 2018