ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Monday warned Federal Minister for Water Resources Faisal Vawda to submit his response with respect to dual nationality case against him within 15 days; otherwise, it would decide the case unilaterally.

The five-member bench headed by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja, while taking up the dual nationality case against Vawda, sought comments on the maintainability of petitions against the minister.

During the course of hearing, no one on behalf of the minister appeared before it. The ECP issued a notice to Vawda to submit his response to the petitions within 15 days. If the minister failed to submit his response, the ECP will decide the case unilaterally, it warned.

The petitions seek Vawda's removal from the public office under clause 62-1 (F) of the Constitution. According to the plea, Faisal Vawda was a dual national when he had submitted his nomination papers to contest election for a National Assembly seat, and he concealed his dual nationality.

The minister is no longer Sadiq and Ameen (truthful and trustworthy) as he filed a false affidavit with regards to his nationality, the petitioners argued, requesting the ECP to disqualify Vawda as member of the National Assembly.

The reports of his dual nationality at the time of filing of his nomination papers for July 2018 general elections surfaced in January this year. The Supreme Court of Pakistan in a past judgment categorically ruled that candidates who hold dual nationality are supposed to submit a renunciation certificate of the foreign nationality along with their nomination papers.

The same judgment has previously led to the disqualification of various lawmakers, notable among whom Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) senators Saadia Abbasi, the sister of former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, and Haroon Akhtar.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020