Ishaq Dar Ready To Take ‘Virtual' Oath For Senate Seat

Ishaq Dar Ready To Take ‘Virtual' Oath For Senate Seat
Senior Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) leader and former finance minister Ishaq Dar has offered to take the oath for his seat in the Senate virtually from the UK, citing 'prolonged illness and ongoing medical treatment' preventing him from travelling to Pakistan.

In his letter to the Chairman of the Senate dated February 2nd, Dar states his 'readiness and willingness' to take up his position in the senate. He was elected a senator on a technocratic seat in March of 2018.

Dar's nomination had been challenged and dismissed in the Lahore High Court (LHC) until December 2021, when the Supreme Court ruled in favour of the former finance minister and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) restored his victory notification as a senator earlier this year.

https://twitter.com/pmln_org/status/1491653656000798723

 

Dar also offered that should the oath not be administered virtually, he could take the oath with Pakistan's high commissioner to the UK or any other official of the high commission as per Article 255 (2) of the Constitution, which allows for the oath to be delivered by another nominee under 'impractical' circumstances.'

In October 2017, Dar went to London for medical treatment while in Pakistan, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) heard corruption charges against him, alleging an accrual of assets worth Rs.831.7 million from sources unknown.  He was declared an absconder by an accountability court one month later.

On Wednesday, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Faisal Vawda was stripped of his senate seat after the ECP ruled that he had failed to properly disclose his US citizenship during his nomination and campaign.