LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday directed a petitioner’s counsel to come up with arguments on the maintainability of his petition seeking disqualification of Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi as a member of the Senate.

LHC Acting Chief Justice Shujaat Ali Khan took up the petition by a citizen, Mashkoor Hussain, as an objection case.

The registrar office questioned the maintainability of the petitioner on the point of his locus standi (the right or ability to bring a legal action to a court of law) in the matter.

Advocate Nadeem Sarwar appeared on behalf of the petitioner and argued that the respondent, Mr Naqvi, was holding a public office as the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman when he was elected as a senator.

He stated that the respondent was appointed under clause 7(1) of the PCB constitution and under clause 7(7) the chairman was entitled to remuneration, allowances and privileges as determined by the rules.

The counsel argued that the clause 7(7) of the PCB constitution makes the office of the chairman an office of profit. Therefore, he said, the respondent stood disqualified to be elected as a member of the Senate under article 63 d & c of the Constitution, which says that a person shall be disqualified from being elected as a member of the parliament if he holds an office of profit in the service of Pakistan.

He argued that the respondent was not eligible to continue his membership of the Senate, while holding the PCB chairman’s office.

He asked the court to declare the respondent disqualified as a senator.

The acting chief justice asked the petitioner’s lawyer to present the arguments in support of the maintainability of the petition, and also apprise the court of the relevant forum to hear a disqualification plea of a lawmaker.

The judge adjourned the hearing till July 4.

Mashwani: A federal law officer on Monday told the Lahore High Court that letters had been written to the interior secretary and police chiefs besides publication of newspaper proclamations about the alleged missing brothers of PTI social media head Azhar Mashwani.

The law officer maintained that all the intelligence agencies had denied having custody of the alleged abducted brothers. He said the police needed more time to trace the whereabouts of the missing individuals.

Justice Shehram Sarwar Chaudhry adjourned the hearing till July 18.

Mashwani’s father Qazi Habibur Rehman filed the petition seeking recovery of his two sons — Zahoorul Hassan and Mazharul Hassan.

The petitioner alleged that his sons had been abducted by the intelligence agencies.

Published in Dawn, July 2nd, 2024