ISLAMABAD: A three-judge Supreme Court bench comprising Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar, Justice Umar Ata Bandial and Justice Faisal Arab will take up on Sept 27 review petitions of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s leader Jahangir Khan Tareen, who was disqualified on Dec 15 last year, as well as of PML-N leader Hanif Abbasi who sought to overturn the judgement exonerating PTI chief Imran Khan from all corruption charges.

In his review petition filed through his counsel Sikandar Bashir Mohmand, Mr Tareen said he could not present legal instruments and specific documents regarding his trust Shiny View Limited (SVL) and his property Hyde House in the earlier round of litigation because these were not in his personal knowledge, possession or control. These documents were being furnished before the court now, he added.

“My understanding and knowledge of the trust arrangement, its legal aspect and components and its legal effect was that of a lay person gathered from my interaction with my professional advisers and the trustees,” Mr Tareen pleaded.

On Dec 15 last year, the Supreme Court had absolved Imran Khan of all allegations of corruption but disqualified Mr Tareen for mis-declaration under Article 62(1)(f) of the Constitution — the same provision under which former prime minister Nawaz Sharif was held ineligible to hold any public office for life in the Panama Papers leaks case.

Similarly, in his review petition filed through his counsel Muhammad Akram Sheikh, Hanif Abbasi sought disqualification of Imran Khan under Articles 62 and 63, read with relevant provisions of the Representation of Peoples Act. He requested the court to set aside the five-year limitation placed on the exercise of the Election Commission of Pakistan to audit the PTI accounts, emphasising that the limitation went beyond the interpretative authority of the apex court and impinged upon the powers of the legislature since it amounted to inserting a specific term into the law.

Published in Dawn, September 25th, 2018