ISLAMABAD: Khawaja Asif has announced that he will challenge the Islamabad High Court (IHC) disqualification against him in the Supreme Court.
The IHC ruled that Asif was disqualified from Parliament for holding an Iqama (work permit) of the United Arab Emirates.
IHC ruled that Khawaja Asif was not qualified to contest the 2013 general election from NA 110 as he did not fulfil the conditions described under Article 62(1)(f) of the constitution, read with section 99(1)(f) of the Act of 1976.
Under the verdict, Asif will be unable to hold public or party office.
Asif claimed that all his assets had been declared ever since he joined politics. “The Iqama was declared to the Election Commission of Pakistan,” asserted a confident Asif.
A petition to disqualify Khawaja Asif had been filed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Usman Dar who lost the 2013 general election to Asif in the NA-110 constituency.
As per the petitioner, Asif is not entitled to hold the office of MNA nor of the federal minister under the Unlimited Term Employment Contract between him and International Mechanical and Electrical Co (IMECO), a company located in Abu Dhabi.
Asif has been hired as a full-time employee of IMECO since at least July 2, 2011 and has held various positions, including those of the legal adviser and special adviser, the petition states.
The contract signed between the foreign minister of Pakistan and the company claim that Asif was to receive a monthly basic salary of AED35,000 along with a monthly allowance of AED15,000.
He is receiving the same while serving as the foreign minister at the same time, it is alleged.
