Court to decide fate of three PTI MNAs next month.

Byline: Malik Asad

ISLAMABAD -- After keeping a verdict on petitions seeking disqualification of three lawmakers belonging to the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) reserved for over two and a half months, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Friday allowed a few more weeks to both sides to answer some legal questions related to filing and scrutiny of their nomination papers.

Justice Aamer Farooq of the IHC had reserved a judgement on July 31 on the petitions challenging the eligibility of MNAs Maleeka Bokhari, Tashfeen Safdar and Kanwal Shauzab on the basis of allegedly holding 'dual nationality'.

The petitions had been filed by Abdullah Khan from Islamabad and Chaudhry Mehmood Ali Hashim from Gujarat.

The court was supposed to pronounce the judgement, but since the counsel for the respondents and the petitioners were not ready to submit their replies to the legal questions raised by the judge, the court adjourned the case till Nov 15.

In March 2018, Ms Shauzab had contested the Senate election on a general seat from the federal capital and provided details of her registration as a voter. She did not win the election. The petition said that Ms Shauzab's permanent and present addresses were in Rawalpindi and Sargodha, but she had misled the ECP about her residence and registration of vote and was, therefore, ineligible for contesting the elections for the National Assembly.

About Ms Bokhari, the prosecutor argued that the Federal Investigation Agency...