ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Ishaq Dar, who is currently staying in London, has finally announced to take oath as a senator.
Dar was elected as a senator on a technocrat seat from Punjab in 2018 but could not take oath due to his stay in London. The Supreme Court suspended his membership over his failure to appear in court on May 8, 2018.
In a letter to Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani, Ishaq Dar said he is ready to take oath as a senator after removal of ‘legal barriers’. Dar said he is currently residing in the United Kingdom for his medical treatment and he is unable to come in person.
“It is in the light of the SC’s decision that the ECP had to later withdraw its order under which it had suspended my election to Upper House of the parliament,” the former finance minister wrote.
The PML-N leader asked the Senate chairman to make preparations for his oath on the virtual video link or any competent authority in the UK should be asked to make arrangements for the oath. A copy of the letter has been forwarded to the Election Commission of Pakistan.
Dar asked the Senate chairman that he be sworn in virtually/video link under Article 255-2, arguing that this method was already in use by the Supreme Court. Dar has also attached his recent medical reports with the letter bearing the signatures of his doctor.
“And even if that is not possible, then the chairman, under article- 255 of the Senate’s rules and regulations, can ask Pakistan’s high commissioner in London to administer the oath to me.”
The development comes after the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) announced to take up a petition seeking disqualification of Ishaq Dar as senator on Feb 21. The ECP had recently restored the membership of Ishaq Dar following the directives of the Supreme Court.
A notification was issued by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to restore Dar’s membership as a senator. The commission withdrew its notification issued on June 29, 2018, under which Dar’s membership remained suspended from June 2018 to January 2022.
