STORY: Pakistan's apex court quashes politicians' lifetime disqualification
SHOOTING TIME: Earlier footage
DATELINE: Jan. 9, 2024
LENGTH: 0:01:21
LOCATION: Islamabad
CATEGORY: POLITICS

SHOTLIST:
1. various of the Supreme Court of Pakistan 
2. various of street views in Islamabad

STORYLINE:

The Supreme Court of Pakistan ended lifetime disqualification for politicians on Monday under the Constitution of the country, saying that parliamentarians would be barred from holding office for a maximum of five years under the law, according to the written order issued by the court.

The seven-member bench headed by Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa gave the 6-1 majority verdict after hearing multiple appeals regarding the lifetime disqualification under Article 62(1)(f) of the Constitution.

The chief justice also read out the judgment telecasted live saying that the apex court quashed its judgment in the Samiullah Baloch case in 2018 when it ruled that disqualification handed down under Article 62(1)(f) would be for a lifetime.

In its decision on Monday, the apex court said, "There is no law that provides for the procedure, process, and the identification of the court of law for making the declaration mentioned in Article 62(1)(f) of the Constitution and the duration of such a declaration."

The apex court's decision came in the context of an amendment in the Elections Act 2017 by the Pakistani Parliament in June 2023, which specified that the period of electoral disqualification would be for five years, not for life. The amendment was approved by the President's Office as well.

Several Pakistani politicians, including former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, were disqualified permanently under the article of the Constitution, which set the precondition for a member of parliament to be honest and righteous.

Commenting on the decision, former Minister of Law and Justice, Senator Azam Nazeer Tarar told Xinhua that all the politicians disqualified earlier would be allowed to contest the elections after the decision by the apex court.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Islamabad.
(XHTV)