A Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar on Thursday heard a set of petitions challenging the Elections Act 2017, filed by Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chief Imran Khan, Awami Muslim League chief Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, the Pakistan Peoples Party and 10 others.
“A corrupt party leader corrupts the entire structure of the party,” Justice Ijaz ul Ahsan remarked during the day’s proceedings. “A disqualified individual can gather 10 people, form a party and then use them [to further his agenda],” he remarked.
Turning to Salman Akram Raja, who was in court pleading disqualified former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s case that disqualification from parliament should not deprive an individual from leading a political party, the judge said: “Qualified people are being controlled by a disqualified person.”
