ISLAMABAD, March 16: The Supreme Court of Pakistan will take a petition on Monday to decide whether a person declared ghair ameen (dishonest) was disqualified to contest election for all his life or the disqualification was time bound.

The case will be taken up by a three-judge bench, headed by Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry.

Liaquat Ali Ranjha, resident of Tehsil Phalia, district Mandi Bhauddin, was disqualified to contest local bodies elections, when it was established by his rivals that he had kept about Rs150,000 with him for six years which he had collected as abiana in his capacity as lumbardar of the village.

The returning officer rejected his nomination papers on the ground that he was ghair ameen.

Liaquat Ali Ranjha filed an appeal in the LHC which also upheld his disqualification. The Supreme Court had, as an interim measure, allowed him to contest election for the seat of Nazim. The petitioner, however, lost the election.

The live issue before the court is whether a person, disqualified after being declared as ghair ameen, was disqualified for ever or not.

Punjab Advocate-General Maqbool Ellahi Malik, who would represent the state, is of the view after it was proved beyond any reasonable doubt that a person was ghair ameen, he was disqualified to hold any public office for ever. The AG substantiates his argument by stating that a person who had perjured, would not be allowed to appear as witness throughout his life.