ISLAMABAD, November 12: The Islamabad High Court will start hearing a petition seeking Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif’s disqualification for possessing an iqama (UAE work permit) from Monday.
A larger bench headed by Justice Amir Farooq has sought a written response from the foreign minister, Express News reported..
The petition for Asif’s disqualification was filed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) Usman Dar.
The petitioner was a PTI candidate in the 2013 general election in NA-110 – the Sialkot constituency in Punjab province from where Asif was elected to the National Assembly.
In the petition, Dar has stated that in view of the facts and documents appended with the petition, this is a fit matter for inquisitorial proceedings; and that Asif is not entitled to hold the office of MNA nor of the federal minister under the Unlimited Term Employment Contract (Employment Contract) between Asif and Int. Mech & Elec Co. LLC (IMECL), a limited liability company located in Abu Dhabi existing under the laws of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The petitioner has claimed that Asif has been continuously employed as a full time, salaried employee of IMECL since at least July 2, 2011, and has held various positions, including legal advisor and special advisor.
He has submitted that first article of the employment contract stipulates that Asif must provide the services thereunder within the UAE while the second one states that employee shall only have one rest day per week.-Agencies
