Photo courtesy PID
Former senator directed to return, within two months, all the salary and any other benefits he had accrued during his time as MNA
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Wednesday announced the disqualification of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Senator Faisal Vawda over concealing his dual nationality during the 2018 general elections when he contested for a seat in the National Assembly.
Pending since 2018, the ECP had reserved its judgment on petitions—filed by Qadir Khan Mandokhel, Mian Faisal and Mian Asif Mehmood—seeking Vawda’s disqualification on Dec. 23, 2021. Throughout the years-long proceedings, Vawda had repeatedly availed extensions and delays, with the opposition accusing the ECP of “purposely” extending the case to protect the incumbent government.
Announcing the short order on Wednesday, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja said Vawda had been a dual national at the time he had filed his nomination papers for the 2018 general elections and had submitted a “false affidavit” claiming that he had already relinquished his American nationality.
According to the verdict, Vawda had submitted his nomination papers to the ECP on June 11, 2018—declaring that he had no nationality other than Pakistani—but had not relinquished his American citizenship until several days later.
The ECP directed Vawda to return within two months all the salary and any other benefits he had accrued during his time as a Member of the National Assembly. It also withdrew the notification declaring his election to the Senate, maintaining that he had sought to hide his dishonesty by resigning from the National Assembly and getting elected to the Upper House.
In the last hearing, a three-member ECP bench led by the CEC had provided Vawda a “last chance” to defend himself and explain his position. Barrister Moeed, the counsel for Vawda, had submitted Vawda’s birth certificate to the ECP, explaining that his client was born in California and was a U.S. citizen by birth.
The Faisal Vawda case has long been seen as a bellwether of the PTI’s political influence, with the opposition repeatedly demanding that the long-pending case be decided. The judgment coincides with the opposition parties announcing intent to exert greater pressure on Prime Minister Imran Khan and his PTI-led government, both within and outside Parliament.
Vawda now has the option to appeal the ruling before the Supreme Court of Pakistan.