Pak National Assembly passes bill to limit disqualification period of lawmakers; Nawaz Sharif may benefit

Pakistan’s National Assembly on Sunday passed a bill to limit the lifetime disqualification of lawmakers to five years, possibly paving the way for the return of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif from London to resume active politics ahead of general elections this year.

Sharif, 73, was disqualified for life in 2017 by the Supreme Court and later convicted in corruption cases by the accountability courts.

In 2018, the three-time former premier became ineligible to hold public office for life after a Supreme Court verdict in the Panama Papers case.

The Elections (Amendment) Bill 2023 apart from reducing the period of disqualification also aims to empower the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to announce election dates unilaterally without having to consult the president.

On the time period of disqualification for lawmakers, the bill included an amendment to Section 232 (Disqualification on account of offences) of the Election Act, 2017.

The bill was already approved by the Senate on June 16.

The amendments also empower the ECP to announce election dates unilaterally without having to consult the president. To become a law, the bill should be endorsed by the president.

With Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-backed President Arif Alvi out of the country to perform Hajj, Chairman Senate Sadiq Sanjrani has taken charge as the acting president and possibly he would endorse the bill without wasting any time, reported Geo News.

It is believed that after becoming the law, the lifelong disqualification of Sharif would end, paving the way for his return to the country and rejoin active politics ahead of general elections, likely in October.

But before joining active politics, Sharif would still need to get decisions of two anti-corruption cases against him overturned.

Nawaz Sharif, the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supreme leader, has been living in self-exile in the United Kingdom since November 2019.

Before his departure to London on a four-wheel bail by the Lahore High Court on medical grounds, Sharif was serving a seven-year jail term in the Al-Azizia Mills corruption case.

The PML-N says its supreme leader will return to Pakistan once the date of the general elections is announced.

Elections in the country are due in October as the tenure of the incumbent government ends on August 13.