LAHORE: Justice Faisal Zaman Khan of the Lahore High Court on Monday sent a petition of PML-N Senator Ishaq Dar, who lives in London in self-exile, to the chief justice for its fixing before another judge already hearing a matter of the petitioner.

Dar, through his special attorney, filed the petition seeking a direction to the Senate chairman to allow him to take oath through a video link.

Justice Khan observed that a petition of Dar was already pending before a brother judge. He said it would be appropriate that the instant petition should also be heard by the same judge.

He referred the petition to the chief justice with a request to fix its hearing before the other judge already seized with a matter of the petitioner.

Justice Khan refrained from deciding an objection of the registrar office on the maintainability of the petition.

The petition contends Dar was prevented under the law from taking oath as a senator and assuming his office. It argues that the apex court had dismissed the petitions against Dar’s election on Dec 21, 2021, and the ECP restored his notification as returned candidate on Jan 10, 2022.

It argues that the Senate chairman is empowered to nominate any other person to administer the required oath to a returned candidate if he is unable to appear before the chairman for some good cause but the chairman dismissed a written request of the petitioner.

Mr Dar asks the court to set aside the decision of the Senate chairman and order him to make suitable arrangements to permit him to take oath virtually by using electronic means.

Published in Dawn, March 8th, 2022