ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Thursday stayed the by-polls in PP-4, Gujjar Khan and upheld the disqualification of PML-N MPA Shaukat Aziz Bhatti.
A three-member Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar directed the Higher Education Commission (HEC) to produce all verified educational documents, including foreign diploma of Shaukat Aziz Bhatti at the next hearing. The court also issued notices to the attorney general to assist on whether the Election Commission/Election Tribunal had the authority to disqualify Bhatti on the grounds of presenting an alleged fake degree.
The chief justice noted that under Article 225 of the constitution, the case should have been sent to the Election Commission. He said the case would be examined from all aspects, as its affects will fall on other cases of similar nature too. The Election Tribunal had disqualified Bhatti on the compliant of one of his opponents Iftikhar Kiyani.
Published in Daily Times, August 18th 2017.
