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Pakistan court reverses ban on former FM ahead of elections
ISLAMABAD, June 1, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – Pakistan’s Supreme Court Friday
reversed a lifetime ban on ousted foreign minister Khawaja Asif, allowing the
politician to contest elections this summer in an unexpected boost for the
country’s ruling party before the polls.
Asif had been removed from office in April for violating the country’s
elections law as he failed to declare several work permits in the United Arab
Emirates
The apex court’s decision follows a string of court rulings that have gone
against the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz party (PML-N) since the ousting of
former prime minister Nawaz Sharif last July.
“I am thankful to the courts,” Asif tweeted in the ruling’s wake.
Asif — a close Sharif aide — is widely seen as a PML-N stalwart and an
outspoken critic of military interference in Pakistan’s politics.
The ruling came hours after power was handed over to a caretaker
administration ahead of polls set for late July 25, marking the second time a
civilian government has completed its term in the restive country.
Pakistan has been under direct military rule for almost half of its 70-year
history, with at least 15 heads of states deposed before completing their
tenure, often at the behest of the powerful security establishment.
Tensions are already mounting in the run-up to the summer’s contest, with
rumours surfacing that polls may be delayed by months.
The general elections are expected to pit the PML-N against its arch-rival,
the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, led by former cricket star turned
populist rabble-rouser Imran Khan.
PTI is promising to end endemic corruption, while investing in education
and healthcare as Khan inches closer to his years-long dream of leading the
country as premier.
But the PML-N has won a number of by-elections in recent months, showing it
will likely remain a powerful force at the polls.
BSS/AFP/RY/1620 hrs