Khwaja Asif Disqualification Case, IHC Forms New Bench

The Islamabad High Court on Tuesday formed a new bench in the disqualification case against the foreign minister Khwaja Asif and it would be led by Ather Minallah.

As per details, the court formed the new bench and fixed the proceedings of the petition filed from PTI leader Usman Dar on April 5.It is pertinent to mention here that Justice Mian Gul Hassan refused to be part of the larger bench on which the case was referred to the chief justice Islamabad High Court by the bench head Justice Amir Farooq.

A single-member bench headed by Justice Amir Farooq heard PTI leader Usman Dar’s petition seeking Khwaja Asif’s disqualification for concealing Iqama.

The court after hearing arguments of the petitioner counsel and other on the question of maintainability of the petition reserved its judgement.Later the court announced its verdict referring the petition to Chief Justice IHC with recommendation to form a lager bench to hear the petition.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Usman Dar had moved the IHC seeking disqualification of Foreign Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif for concealing his Iqama.The PTI leader sought the disqualification on the grounds that Khawaja Asif had concealed the facts that he was an Iqama-holder, legal adviser of a company in UAE and his recent labor card was issued on June 29, 2017.

Dar requested the court to initiate quo-warranto inquisitorial proceedings in this regard requiring the respondent to explain that under what law he was holding public office.