Defining Articles 62 and 63
THIS refers to the report ‘SC promises to interpret Articles 62, 63’ (Oct 24). It is good to know that during the course of hearing of three identical petitions seeking disqualification of the prime minister, the judge heading the bench, Justice Jawwad S. Khwaja, declared his intention to interpret Articles 62 and 63 of the Constitution, without bothering about the consequences of his ruling on the present assembly.
His exact words, as reported, were: “We are not bothered whether one member, or 10, or half of the parliament has to go, we will decide the matter before us.”
I feel a straight person would see no difficulty in interpreting the wordings prescribing qualification for the assembly aspirant which, in essence, reads ‘he is sagacious, righteous and non-profligate, honest and ameen, and has not, after the establishment of Pakistan, worked against the integrity of the country or opposed the ideology of Pakistan.’
I hope now that Justice Jawwad S. Khwaja has expressed his resolve, he goes all the way.
S.R.H. Hashmi
Karachi
Published in Dawn, November 3rd, 2014