The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has finally issued its decision in the dual nationality case of PTI politician Faisal Vawda, pronouncing him unfit to occupy a senatorial seat.
On December 23, 2021, the ECP had reserved its decision on PPP MNA Qadir Khan Mandokhail’s request for Vawda’s disqualification.
The petitioners claimed that Vawda disguised his US citizenship while submitting his nomination papers to the returning officer for the National Assembly seat, and that despite being asked numerous times by the ECP, he refused to state the date of his renunciation of US citizenship.
Vawda received repeated cautions and extensions for submitting his counter-arguments to the prosecution’s position during the trial.
Vawda won the NA-249 constituency in Karachi in the 2018 general election.
Vawda was in possession of a US passport when he filed his nomination papers on June 11, 2018, according to The News. Even after his nomination documents were thoroughly scrutinised, the minister remained an American citizen.
In a previous ruling, the Supreme Court of Pakistan stated explicitly that candidates with dual nationality must submit a renunciation certificate of the foreign nationality with their nomination papers.
