LAHORE, Oct 13: Federal Law Minister Wasi Zafar says former prime ministers Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto are not eligible to contest elections as they both are involved in cases pending against them.

He was talking to newsmen at the launch of ‘Urdu Version of Constitution of Pakistan Muslim League’ by Dr Nabila Tariq, vice-president/secretary of the Punjab PML media committee, at Alhamra here on Friday.

He said: “If they decided to come here and contest elections, they will have to face the cases.”

The minister said as it was clear that they could not participate in elections without being cleared by the courts, there should also be no doubt that according to the Constitution a person could not be a prime minister for the third time.

He said both of them held the office of the premier twice, therefore, under the Constitution they were not eligible to become prime minister again.

He said the Women Rights Protection Bill as approved by the Select Committee would be presented and approved in the next session of the National Assembly.

Answering a question regarding vows by opposition members to quit, he said: “In a democratic set-up, everybody has the right to resign and if they want to quit assemblies they can do so; it will not affect functioning of the legislature.”

He said the general elections would be held next year on the completion of the tenure by the assemblies.

Earlier, he appreciated efforts of Dr Nabila Tariq for translating PML constitution into Urdu, and said it was a great service as it would help common man understand party’s working.

Provincial ministers Chaudhry Zaheeruddin, Imran Masood and Qudsia Lodhi, party leaders and workers were also present on the occasion.—APP