ECP to hear plea seeking Faisal Vawda's disqualification on Feb 3

[ejaz007]

ECP to hear plea seeking Faisal Vawda's disqualification on Feb 3

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Federal Minister for Water Resources Faisal Vawda. Photo: File

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) is set to hear a plea seeking the disqualification of Federal Minister for Water Resources Faisal Vawda on February 3, according to notice issued by the body on Saturday.

The petitioner, Qadir Mandokhel, has sought Vawda's disqualification on the grounds that he submitted a "fake undertaking" to the ECP.

The petitioner alleges that the minister had hidden his dual citizenship while submitting his nomination papers for General Elections 2018.

According to the ECP, notices have been issued to the concerned parties in the case.

Earlier this week, an investigation carried out by The News showed that Faisal Vawda at the time of filing nomination papers on June 11, 2018, was an American citizen. That status was intact even during the scrutiny of nomination papers.

Vawda had held a US passport when he filed his nomination papers on June 11, 2018. The minister, it is claimed, was a US national even when the scrutiny of his nomination papers was completed.

The Supreme Court of Pakistan, in a past judgment, has categorically ruled that candidates with dual nationalities are to submit a renunciation certificate of their foreign nationality (if any) along with their nomination papers.

In Vawda’s case, the last date to file the nomination papers for the July 2018 elections was June 11.

Documents reportedly showed that Vawda submitted his election papers on the last date — June 11, 2018 — along with an affidavit in which he declared that he does not hold any citizenship other than that of Pakistan.

The returning officer of Vawda’s constituency, NA-249 Karachi, had approved his nomination papers on June 18.

It was only after getting the approval that Vawda approached the US Consulate in Karachi to relinquish his US nationality. It means that the minister had purportedly been an American citizen at the time his candidature was finalised.

https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/6...eking-faisal-vawdas-disqualification-on-feb-3

 

[El Sidd]

Open and Shut case.

ECP should hold PTI legally responsible for this fraud and ban the party from politics like they banned TLYR.

 

[El Sidd]

Open and Shut case.

ECP should hold PTI legally responsible for this fraud and ban the party from politics like they banned TLYR.

The government will be facing some serious questions as it gets revealed most of the ministers are dual nationals.

It should petition for Article 6 since Water security is National security of the country.

 

[ejaz007]

IHC takes up Faisal Vawda’s dual nationality case today

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ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court will take up Federal Minister for Water Resources Faisal Vawda's dual nationality case today (Wednesday). Vawda was a dual national at the time of filing nomination papers for general elections in 2018 and he concealed his American citizenship by falsely declaring on oath to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) that he didn’t have any foreign nationality.

Vawda’s dual nationality was challenged by Mian Mohammad Faisal who argued that the minister held dual nationality while filing his nomination papers for the 2018 general elections.

To avoid disqualification, Vawda submitted a false affidavit to claim that he was a Pakistani citizen only. He intentionally and deliberately submitted a false affidavit, by falsely deposing and undertaking that he has no nationality other than Pakistan, hence, he is not Sadiq and Ameen and should be removed from the position, the petitioner prayed.

The News report about Vawda's dual nationality was published in The News titled “A minister who was American when filed nomination papers” on January 20. Following the publication of the story, his dual nationality was been challenged before the Election Commission of Pakistan and the Islamabad High Court.

The petitioner, Mian Faisal, has also prayed that the minister should be disqualified for concealing his dual nationality and lying on oath. Vawda should refund all the amount he received as salary and remuneration, accommodation allowances and other perks and privileges forthwith, he pleaded. A single-member bench comprising Justice Aamer Farooq will hear the case today.

On concealment of dual nationality, Vawda's PTI colleagues believe that whoever holds dual nationality at the time of submitting nomination papers is set to not only face instant disqualification but he can also be penalized for perjury. It is pertinent to mention here that the last date to file nomination papers for the July 2018 elections was June 8, which was later extended for another three days.

Taking his document an evidence, Vawda submitted election papers on the last date — June 11, 2018 — along with an affidavit wherein he declared himself holding no citizenship other than that of Pakistan. The Returning Officer (RO) of NA-249 Karachi, his electoral constituency, approved his nomination papers on June 18, 2018. It was only after this approval that Vawda applied for renunciation of his US nationality at the US Consulate, Karachi, meaning thereby he was an American citizen at the time of filing the papers. Vawda applied for the revocation of his American citizenship in the US Consulate Karachi on June 22, 2018 (Friday). Normally, the process of renunciation of US nationality takes a couple of weeks or even months because it requires clearance from all the relevant departments. However, the US Consulate issued the Certificate of Loss of Nationality to Vawda on the next working day i.e. June 25, 2018 (Monday), The News reported.

Vawda’s dual citizenship didn’t go unchallenged. His rival candidate Abdul Qadir Mandokhel of PPP moved the Sindh High Court in order to disqualify his candidature. However, after a couple of court hearings, Mandokhel withdrew his petition from the apex court. Explaining the reason for pulling out, he told The News he did so “under immense pressure” not only from certain quarters but also from the leadership of his own party.

The Supreme Court of Pakistan in its judgment has categorically directed that the candidates who previously held dual nationality shall have the renunciation certificate at the time of filing of nomination papers. Various legislators were disqualified by the apex court on this count including almost all the major political parties of Pakistan. Some of them had applied for renunciation of foreign citizenship much earlier but were unable to obtain the renunciation certificate at the time of filing of nomination papers because of the long process and they lost the membership due to this constitutional obstacle to becoming the member of parliament.

https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/605744-ihc-takes-up-faisal-vawda-s-dual-nationality-case-today

 

[El Sidd]

So even after this he has not resigned?

This is the same man who tried to malign Pakistan on National television.

 

[ejaz007]

IHC issues notice to Faisal Vawda in dual nationality case

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Federal Minister for Water Resources Faisal Vawda. Photo: File
ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday issued notices to Federal Minister for Water Resources Faisal Vawda, Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), and others, in a case related to the minister hiding his dual nationality from the electoral body.

An investigative report published in The News earlier this month had made the starling revelation that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Vawda concealed his citizenship of the United States from officials when he filed his nomination papers for the 2018 general elections in Pakistan.

During a hearing into the case held today, Justice Aamir Farooq asked the petitioner about the last date for the candidates to submit their nomination forms for the election in 2018. The petitioner's lawyer, Barrister Jahangir Jadoon, told the court it was June 11, 2018.

The lawyer also presented the oath-taking that the minister had submitted to the ECP when he filed his nomination papers. The judge questioned the petitioner whether the oath-taking submitted by Vawda, and presented in court, was authentic.

To this, the counsel for the petitioner informed the court that the minister had submitted a fake oath-taking since he was holding dual nationality at the time of filing his nomination papers.

The Supreme Court of Pakistan, in a past judgment, had ruled that candidates who hold dual nationality are supposed to submit a renunciation certificate of the foreign nationality along with their nomination papers for elections.

The petitioner pleaded the court disqualify the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawmaker from office and stop him from working as a minister. “We have issued notices, when we get a response in two weeks then we will see,” remarked Justice Farooq during the hearing.

Mian Mohammad Faisal, the petitioner, had approached the IHC earlier this month seeking Vawda’s disqualification over the false declaration. The next date of the hearing into the case has been set for February 24.

Dual nationality?

Documents had showed earlier this month that Vawda submitted his election papers on June 11, 2018, along with an affidavit in which he declared that he did not hold any citizenship other than that of Pakistan.

The returning officer of Vawda’s constituency, NA-249 Karachi, approved his nomination papers on June 18, 2018. It was only after getting this approval that Vawda approached the US Consulate in Karachi to relinquish his US nationality.

This means that the minister had been an American citizen at the time his candidature was finalised. Official US documents showed that Vawda approached the US consulate for the revocation of his American citizenship on June 22, 2018 (Friday).

Usually, the process to relinquish a US nationality may take a couple of weeks or even months, as it requires clearance from all concerned departments of the US government.

However, the consulate issued the ‘Certificate of Loss of Nationality’ to Vawda on its next working day, which was June 25, 2018 (Monday), according to the documents obtained by The News.

https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/605962-ihc-issues-notice-to-faisal-vawda-in-dual-nationality-case

 

[Peaceful Civilian]

Can't expect any good from judges for poor people. They hear only rich people . This is Murder of justice . Need new system from scratch. What is court for when citizen can't even get justice and poor knocking the door of court from months & years.