A CONCEPTUAL ANALYSIS OF ARTICLE 62(1)(f) OF THE CONSTITUTION OF THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF PAKISTAN, 1973: SHOULD PAKISTAN AMEND THE ‘HONEST AND AMEEN’ CLAUSE?

By:
AIMEN TAIMUR
Course Coordinator/ Lecturer
School of International Law, Islamabad
aimentaimur@sil.edu.pk

Judicial Approach to Article 62 (1) (f) and the Panama Papers Scandal Case

The procedure of understanding the merits or the faults of a piece of legislation begins with the observation of its application. It is paramount to study the pattern of the approaches taken by the courts over the years to construe the law. It is through this application that we can see a clear cause and effect relationship between the existence of the Article in question and its actual effect on judicial inclination.

1.1     Application of Article 62 (1) (f)

The Pakistani courts have struggled with the application of Article 62 (1) (f) and it took a fair amount of time till the courts fully grasped the volatile nature of the legislation. However, the courts decided early on to limit the ambit of the application of the Article in an effort to curtail the risk of abuse of this disqualification clause[1].  The judiciary’s role was truly put to test in 2013, and the events leading up to the second general election after the eight year long martial law rule by General Pervez Musharraf and the five-year full term government by the right wing Pakistan People’s Party. In addition to the election, the now fully restored judiciary openly embraced its new power to dismiss parliamentary candidates on the basis of the disqualification clause. The Returning Officers of the Election Commission of Pakistan, who are judicial officers by profession, were entrusted with the task of selecting parliamentary candidates on the basis of the constitutional requirements and the rules codified in The Representation of the People Act 1976[2].

Presently, a few cases will be included to understand the situations in which it was seen fit by the higher courts to apply Article 62 (1) (f). The most commonly occurring scenario was when the parliamentary candidates would fraudulently portray educational qualifications on their applications or would resort to forging their degrees.  As a response the Supreme Court in Khalid Pervaiz Gill v Saifullah Gill[3]and the Quetta High Court in Munir Ahmed v Election Commission of Pakistan[4] ruled that the parliamentary candidates were not ‘honest and ameen’ about their educational profiles therefore they were not qualified to hold the public office. Consequently, the candidates were restrained from contesting in the election.  Similarly, when a candidate in Sadiq Ali Memon v Returning Officer NA-237[5] failed to disclose his dual nationality and had not disclosed this information while contesting in the previous election, the Supreme Court ruled that he was no longer ‘honest and ameen’ and incapable of being a member of the parliament.

Another interesting application by the court before the 2013 election was when the former Military Dictator General Pervez Musharraf who had toppled the duly elected government, dismissed an entire superior judiciary, shut down the free media and used the 17th Amendment maliciously to validate his position before the new government could start functioning, tried to contest in the election. In Syed Pervez Musharraf v Appellate Tribunal For General Election 2013,[6]the Peshawar High Court ruled that in addition to charges of constitutional abrogation and criminal cases pending in the courts including high profile murders, the candidate had earned a life time disqualification for contesting the election for both the Parliament and any other public office. The candidate’s history was against him and he clearly did not fulfill the ‘honest and ameen’ criteria. The court prevented a military leader to come into power again using Article 62 (1) (f).  However, the sad reality is that it took the courts of Pakistan precisely 66 years to do that which goes to show the sabotage done over the years to the recently independent judiciary.

Additionally, a frequent ground for disqualification was concealing the source or the amount of financial income. In Muhammad Ashraf v Returning Officer Constituency No- NA 95[7]the appellant concealed his agricultural assets, which deprived the candidate of the necessary eligibility criteria prescribed in Article 62 (1) (f). Declaration of all assets is a requirement and the fraudulent suppression of the information violates the requirement to be honest.  Furthermore, Usman Ibrahim v Returning officer NA-95[8] stands authority for when a candidate’s declared income does not tally with the actual income, they would not qualify to be ‘honest and ameen’.

On the other hand, a large number of disqualifications were overturned as a result of the Returning Officers acting disproportionately and disqualifying candidates even on the basis of not being able to properly recite Quranic Verses or failing to answer general knowledge questions.  An example of the Returning Officers overstepping their authority was in the case of the disqualification of a senior politician Ayaz Amir, on the content of his journalistic writings[9]. Although Ayaz Amir’s disqualification was overturned by the Election Tribunal Bench Rawalpindi, it is evident how inconvenient it must have been for his political campaign. The Returning Officers have been using their power to disqualify candidates without the proper due process that courts employ. This is a direct violation of the right to a fair trial under [10]Article 10-A of the 1973 Constitution. In spite of the fact that the decisions of the Returning Officers can be appealed, it is still confusing what the standard is to disqualify candidates in different situations, before the instant decision is appealed and taken to court. This also brings about the fear of abuse of power due to the excessive room for the discretion given to the Returning Officers and the subjective moralistic nature of the ‘sadiq and ameen’ clause.

Before the 2013 election the Judiciary had just received its independence and although many decisions based on the ‘honest and ameen’ clause seem to be based on logical judicial reasoning but the careless application of the disqualification clauses by the returning officers shows the lack of maturity and experience on their part. The judicial officers were still learning to understand the application of the ‘honest and ameen’ clause along with the other disqualification clauses. They were on the edge of falling into the trap of widening the ambit of application of a linguistically challenging clause. The research will now move forward on the timeline and scrutinise the judicial approach directly before and in the landmark Panama Papers Scandal Case.

1.2     The Panama Papers Scandal Case

The beginning of the chain of events that finally lead to the disqualification of the former Prime Minister of Pakistan Muhammad Nawaz Sharif was the winning of the 2013 general election by Pakistan Muslim League-N (PMLN) and the opposition in the Parliament being headed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI).  It was after the Prime Minister assumed his office that PTI started initiating rallies and campaigns to coerce Sharif into stepping down, as he was not ‘qualified’ for his seat.  This accusation was based on the assumption that the Prime Minister had not declared his assets and that these assets were purchased through black money. PTI also went on to demand that the Prime Minister and his family publicly declare their assets along with the money trail that finally lead to the possession of their respective assets.

In context to the aforementioned state of affairs, the matter finally went to court with the emergence of the 11.5 million financial and legal records famously known as the ‘Panama Papers’.[11] This international cyber leak revealed that the Sharif family was in possession of offshore companies and multiple undisclosed assets.

After multiple investigations, excessive media attention and strategic political manoeuvres the unanimous judgement by one of the most accomplished benches of the Supreme Court in the history of Pakistan was read out by Justice Asif Saeed Khosa on 28th July 2017. In the monumental [12]judgement by Justice Khosa it was first established in light of the evidence that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had the relevant interests and the proximity to the undeclared assets during the time he had assumed his public office. Therefore, his disassociation with the ‘Panama Papers’ leaks was disproved. He then went on to quote Verse no. 55 of Surah Yusuf of the Holy Quran whereby it is decreed that only those who are reliable and knowledgeable be put in charge of the resources of the land.  It was after the necessary link with a religious authority that he went on to slowly make the case for the application of Article 62 (1) (f).

Moving forward with the judgment, Justice Khosa referred to the concerns he had raised regarding Article 62 (1) (f) in his prior judgment of Ishaq Khakwani v Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif[13]. He quoted his statement where he said regarding the unascertainable nature of internal morals, that

It is proverbial that the Devil himself knoweth not the intention of the man’.

In order to eliminate the room for critics to call out the hypocrisy he justified his statement through two major arguments. He stated that in the contemporary society of Pakistan it is the social status that determines the success of politicians rather than their moral or religious credentials. So candidates who garner the majority of the votes cast in their favour is what wins them their seat in the Parliament, instead of their moral compass pointing north. He scrutinized the Article more by opining that expecting complete virtue from ordinary mortals is unrealistic and having a clause that demands such an impractical feature tampers with the sanctity that the constitution deserves.

Coming to the positive case for Article 62 (1) (f), he gave the credit to the courts for managing to apply such an uncertain clause over the years to the best of their abilities. He then made an observation in favour of the presence of such an Article by reverting to the Objectives Resolution 1949[14], which has been the basic framework of all succeeding constitutions. It was the Objectives Resolution that established the Muslim faith as the grundnorm of Pakistan. Being a leader of such a country binds that individual shall follow all the salient features of Islam.

In relation to his previous point, Justice Khosa also highlighted the function of the Article, which is the ‘cleansing of the fountainhead’ that should theoretically have a trickle-down effect further cleansing the whole system of immoral and unfair practices. He then addressed the issue of the application of the Article by declaring that with time the jurisprudence had evolved to the point where it could assist with the interpretation. Hence, now the Article should not necessarily be approached with the same hopelessness as in the past.

To further clarify the approach in application of Article 62 (1) (f), case law was employed. Starting with Nawabzada Iftikhar Ahmad Khan Bar v Chief Election Commissioner Islamabad[15] it was reiterated that the Parliament was one of the noblest of the organs of state and it had the power to shape the destiny of the nation therefore it would be fatal to permit a candidate who had lied about their academic qualifications into such a respectable institution.

After substantiating the need for ‘morally upright’ individuals for a ‘morally upright’ institution, Rai Hassan Nawaz v Haji Muhammad Ayub[16]was referred to so that it could be shown that the declaration of personal assets was the benchmark of public honesty that every candidate is to achieve. Justice Khosa went on to comment that if a politician was to fraudulently conceal their assets in other democratic jurisdictions then they would usually either resign from their post or taken to task by the accountability bureaus. However, this is not the same in Pakistan thus the need for the courts to intervene and apply the relevant Article in the most suitable manner before the Parliament makes the time to amend it for easy application.

Lastly, the final two authorities Justice Khosa relied on for the application of Article 62 (1) (f) are judgments by the former Chief Justice of the Balochistan High Court, Qazi Faez Isa. In Molvi Muhammad Sarwar v Returning Officer PB-15[17] the petitioner lied about qualifying as per Article 62 (1) (f) under oath. Isa CJ devised a distinction between two types of lies. He classified them as a malicious lie intended for an expected benefit and a non-malicious lie not intended for a potential advantage. In the second case Obaidullah v Senator Mir Muhammad Ali Rind[18]it was held that the Article 62 (1) (f) applies to the public morality and not the private religious conduct of the parliamentarians.

Justice Khosa used these two judgments to ultimately conclude that the purpose of the Article is to prevent thieves, embezzlers and fraudsters from entering the noble Parliament. He then went on to say that since Nawaz Sharif had been a public figure for the past 36 years and the charges against him were those of corruption so the stringent tests set in the preceding authorities were satisfied.

In his ending remarks on the application of Article 62 (1) (f) Justice Khosa quoted Lord Reid’s statement in Haughton v Smith[19] that

The law is sometimes called an ass it cannot be so asinine as that.’

And another statement from the judgment in Rashad Ehsan v Bashir Ahmad[20]that

The law sometimes is called an ass but the judge should, as far as it is possible, try not to become one’.

The point he was trying to make was that in the present case Nawaz Sharif failed to produce the records of his proprietary transactions although he had previously assured the court that he did have all the records. Hence, his honesty could not be established and it was not difficult for a judge to see through the frivolous stories spun by the respondents. Also, he mentioned that in such a clear-cut incident of a lie being proven, the debate of the interpretation of Article 62 (1) (f) was negligent when the obvious intention behind the presence of the Article was being fulfilled.

In a recent development the Supreme Court passed two judgments on 15th December 17. This time in cases initiated by the embittered Government against two opposition leaders. In Muhammad Hanif Abbasi v Imran Khan Niazi[21], it was held that the opposition leader was not the alleged owner of an undisclosed offshore company. While in Muhammad Hanif Abbasi v Jahangir Khan Tareen[22], the respondent’s statements led the court to decide that he was not an honest person and ruled on giving him a life time disqualification under Article 62 (1) (f). It is interesting to note that the court gave two different judgments in seemingly similar situation. So is it down to the accused being the most convincing while defending their honesty? Or is there another objective method that the courts can use to ascertain that the individuals are ‘honest and ameen’? Is it fair for the courts to give lifelong disqualifications on instances where politicians cannot prove their moral aptitude?

Conclusion and Recommendations

The last section aims to structurally state the potential solutions to the research question in light of the previously analyzed and accumulated data on the topic. The research sought the answer to the pressing issue of whether Article 62 (1) (f) of the Pakistani Constitution should be left as it is, amended or repealed altogether.

2.1     Repealing the Provision

After understanding the historical roots of the Article, observing its role in the Panama Paper’s Scandal case along with the general judicial statutory interpretation and an overview of the international approach to similar legal situations, there is hope that this research will present a practically feasible exposition of a remedy.

Initially, if it is considered that Article 62 (1) (f) is to be removed from the Constitution, a few advantages can be observed. Since all problems regarding the Article arise due to its presence in the Constitution, naturally its removal will eradicate a majority of the issues. Furthermore, the removal will also contribute to political stability since as witnessed in the Panama Case, political opponents will stop leaning on the ‘qualification test’ to avenge their losses in the election[23]. Another sensitive matter of the judiciary usurping its power by disqualifying the members of the Parliament will also be solved and the Parliament will maintain its supremacy[24]. This would result in a clear hierarchy in the institutional structure, with the representatives of the nation taking the top tier, which is the basic idea of a democratic society. Historically, this Article was put in place by the military dictator General Zia Ul Haq, during his Islamization movement as a shackle for Parliamentarians. The hypocrisy is quite evident, where it can be seen that a military dictator who came into power by force was immune to the qualification test that he set down for the future ‘democratically’ elected leaders of the Islamic ‘Republic’ of Pakistan. Keeping in mind the dark history of the Article, it will only be beneficial to repeal it for the sake of democratic growth.

As the research has established so far, the Article is open to interpretation and case law suggests an irresponsible usage of the qualification criteria by the returning officers during the 2013 general elections. Such a misuse can seriously stain a politician’s career, as a spotless public image is imperative for a successful political campaign. Similarly, any open-ended law in general gives excessive discretion that can do more harm than good.

The hype that is given to such cases may result in a ‘political witch-hunt’ due to the Supreme Court independently prosecuting politicians who are allegedly not ‘honest and ameen’[25]. Such instances severely contribute to the pre-existing issue of the separation of powers in the Pakistani governmental layout, along with the hampering of the process of the Parliament to reach a certain level of self-accountability.

An article written by Justice Khosa about Article 62 (1) (f), 30 years ago, as a young lawyer must also be considered since it speaks of how impractical it is for such a clause to exist in the Constitution. He says that expecting ‘sinful mortals’ to live up to the Prophetic tradition of being ‘honest and ameen’ is not realistic[26]. Conversely, he devices a test and justifies the presence of this Article now that he is a Supreme Court judge. This goes to show that this clause is as confusing for lawyers as it is for legal commentators. However, judges are not ready to depart with the discretion that this Article gives to them over the Parliamentarians. This brings about a fear of the misuse of the ‘honest and ameen’ clause and a likely insidious impact. It is also vital to note that the judiciary is exempt from being tried under this Article[27]. Theoretically, this gives unrestricted power to the judiciary and yet fails to put the necessary checks and balances to prevent possible injustice.

The Constitution itself dictates in Article 8[28] that any law inconsistent with fundamental rights is void. Resultantly a law that prevents a democratically elected leader to be dismissed from his legitimately acquired right to rule could arguably be considered to be voidable. Having an inconclusive Article in the Constitution meddles with the sanctity of such a nationally sacred document. Therefore, the removal of such an Article will be helpful in eliminating future contention on the meaning and applicability of the concept of ‘honest and ameen’. It should however not be ignored that this solution will create numerous unprecedented situations which have been so far avoided due to the presence of the disqualification test.

2.2     Allowing the Provision to remain as it is

Coming towards the second solution, if it is argued that the Article is allowed to remain, as it already exists then even this solution is not without its advantages. Logic dictates that in a noble institution such as the Parliament, it is only fitting that its members fulfill the basic requirement of being trustworthy and loyal enough to handle their responsibilities. Majorly this demand is justified because by delegating the power to represent themselves, the common citizens give up a part of their autonomy as well their natural equality to the representatives therefore the threshold of such representatives must be high[29].  This act of making a ‘delegate’ and setting up these representatives a part of a 'constituent body’, demands special procedures to be put in place to ensure that only the non-corruptible and morally strong politicians get the mandate to rule[30]. These representatives belong to a system of representation which represents a society aspiring to be ‘honest and ameen’ so the leaders are expected to fulfill that standard[31].

Moreover, the law of the land impartially binds an average citizen of ordinary fortitude.  The acts condemning criminal behaviours set out punishments for those who conceal the truth or commit fraud in their dealings. In Section 436 of the Pakistan
Penal Code
[32], producing forged or false documents is not only punishable by a fine but also imprisonment for up to two years. Thus, it would be unjust to let parliamentary candidates get away with committing crimes that a commoner would seriously be charged with. The Constitution reflects the national legal framework and a strong lack of congruence will arise if a gap is developed between the social integrity expected from the public and the elected leaders. Unfortunately, if lower behavioural standards were kept for politicians then Pakistan would be no different from a monarchy where the concept of the rule of law and equality before the law would eventually fade away.

It is also an interesting correspondence that wherever the Article is used, it is usually applied in conjunction with another violated law. In the Panama Papers Scandal case, Nawaz Sharif was charged with the concealment of assets and then that concealment resulted in the court ruling that he was not ‘honest and ameen’. If Article 62 (1) (f) is used in this manner then the finding that it is subjective in nature would not actually be that severe as its application is dependent on the objective establishment of a separate crime. So, the Article is in fact an umbrella under which, most criminal activities commissioned and veiled by parliamentarians and parliamentary candidates are reprehended.

Pakistan, being an Islamic Republic based on Islamic values, the removal of the Article will be met with backlash. Religion is one of the most sensitive matters and a triggering point for various sections of the Pakistani society. In addition to the opposition by the religious political parties in the Parliament, it can be predicted that the public will take to the streets and this could give rise to sporadic clashes resulting in civil unrest. A solution that would potentially result in chaos is not pragmatic. As a country, the identification with the Islamic faith and the responsibility to maintain Islamic values becomes more of a spiritual rather than a political matter[33]. In non-secular countries this is a common issue since there is no division between politics and religion[34].

Accordingly, with the observations made above, it is absolutely necessary that the judges make use of a responsible and moderate judicial interpretation instead of indulging in unwarranted disqualifications. Similarly, it is suggested that the test for the application of Article 62 (1) (f) used in the Panama Papers Scandal case be used, as it will help the jurisprudential reasoning mature, which will further refine the method for the application of the Article for judges across the country.

Yet again, another factor to be contemplated is that after the inception of Article 62 (1) (f), the Constitution has gone through instances of serial amendments. A prominent and the latest occurrence of this being the Legal Framework Order 2002[35] during the military rule of General Pervez Musharraf. Although, quite a few amendments were made to supposedly strengthen the democracy but none of these amendments touched Article 62 (1) (f). The question does arise that why has neither the Parliament nor any dictator taken any action to clarify the ‘honest and ameen’ clause in the past. This might be because it could be foreseen that repealing such an Article would be met with technical difficulties and much displeasure.

This Article is the only mechanism that can be used to hold corrupt and fraudulent politicians accountable simply for their inability to stay true to the Islamic fundamentals upon which Pakistan was created. The absolute removal will leave behind a lacuna that could be used to steer clear of being held accountable for serious misdemeanours. Also, the power to dismiss criminally liable parliamentarians is the judiciary’s right. Having discussed the weakness of the institutional structures of Pakistan, it is important for the courts to have some legal support to hold answerable the otherwise unaccountable politicians who hold on to their posts with the backing of their fellow party members.

2.3     Law Reform

The last and the most practical solution is two fold. It requires a legal action on part of the Parliament and some judicial activism as well. If we fuse the above two solutions in one practical guideline to minimize the separate detrimental effects of the opposite approaches of each solution, we can finally reach the safest route to take. Firstly, the matter of interpretation can only be resolved by an elaborate clarification. An Act of Parliament can bring this about by clearly stating the circumstances and situations under which Article 62 (1) (f) can be invoked. The new Act should objectively define the terms ‘honest and ameen’ so as to curb obscurity.

The Act should also mention the variety of crimes which could result in disqualification due to the Parliamentarians or the Parliamentary candidates not being ‘honest and ameen’. Not only will the creation of an Act maintain Parliament’s supremacy because a proper legislative channel will be followed, but it will also set a strong accountability mechanism that would be approved by the legislature and applied by the judiciary. Since, the vastly interpretative nature of the Article can be dealt with by the introduction of an Act, the role of the judiciary comes into play next. The judiciary should in fact send recommendations to the Parliament before the finalization of the Act. This way the judges will ensure that the law is such that it is not just workable in theory but it is also court friendly. Although it is the job of the legislature to solely draft and approve laws, the judicial intervention will merely be advisory and will have no effect on the final act whatsoever. However, the recommendations by Supreme Court judges will assist with the new law being as practical as possible because it is the judges who apply the law and they would appreciate the potential issues that could arise in judgments and in interpretation by lawyers.

The above solution is more of a need in this system of electoral politics where rationality and objectivity should command the subjective clauses that seek morality in the leadership[36]. But just like all potential solutions, the process of bringing about such an Act will be tricky. This is due to the fact that the self serving Parliamentarians cannot be expected to let an Act come into being that would increase the chances of them being disqualified.

Pakistan was founded on the idea of being the nation, which is based on an Islamic ideology governed by fairness and equality[37]. The leaders of such a nation need to have at least the rudimentary semblance of loyalty to their motherland by being ‘honest and ameen’. This concept exists far beyond the borders of Pakistan and with the right law reform, could be the future of ministerial accountability in Pakistan as well.

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[1].       Shahid Nabi Malik v Muhammad Ishaq Dar[1996 MLD 295], Election Tribunal Punjab.

[3].       Khalid Pervaiz Gill v Saifullah Gill [2013 SCMR 1310], Supreme Court.

[4].       Munir Ahmed v Election Commission of Pakistan, Islamabad [2013 CLC 1335], Quetta High Court.

[5].       Sadiq Ali Memon v Returning Officer, NA-237, Thatta-1 [2013 SCMR 1310], Supreme Court.

[6].       Syed Pervez Musharraf v Appellate Tribunal for General Election 2013 [2013 PLD 105], Peshawar High Court.

[7].       Muhammad Ashraf v Returning Officer Constituency No. NA-95/ District& Sessions Judge, Gujranwala and 3 others [2013 CLC 1193].

[8].       Usman Ibrahim v Returning Officer NA-95 Gujranwala-I and 2 others, [2013 CLC 1521].

[9].       Newspaper article on disqualification of Ayaz Amir, <https://tribune.com.pk/story/531400/ayaz-amirs-articles-run-afoul-of-articles-62-63/>

[10].      The Constitution of The Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Article 10-A <http://na.gov.pk/uploads/documents/1333523681_951.pdf>

[11].      Offshore Leaks Database Record on the Sharif family, The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists <https://offshoreleaks.icij.org/stories/mariam-safdar-hasan-and-hussain-nawaz-sharif>

[12].      Panama Papers Scandal Case, Judgment by Justice Khosa, 143-162 <http://www.supremecourt.gov.pk/web/user_files/File/Const.P._29_2016.pdf>

[13].      Ishaq Khakwani and others v Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif and others, [PLD 2015 SC 275], Supreme Court.

[14].      Objectives Resolution 1949, <http://www.pakistani.org/pakistan/constitution/annex.html>

[15].      Nawabzada Iftikhar Ahmad Khan Bar v Chief Election Commissioner Islamabad and others[PLD 2010 SC 817], Supreme Court.

[16].      Rai Hassan Nawaz v Haji Muhammad Ayub and others [PLD 2017 SC 70], Supreme Court.

[17].      Molvi Muhammad Sarwar and others v Returning Officer PB-15, Musa Khail and others [2013 CLC 1583], Balochistan High Court.

[18].      Obaidullah v Senator Mir Muhammad Ali Rind and 2 others,[PLD 2012 Balochistan 1] Balochistan High Court.

[19].      Haughton v Smith, [1975 A.C. 476,500].

[20].      Rashad Ehsan and others v Bashir Ahmad and another, [PLD 1989 SC 146], Supreme Court.

[21].      Muhammad Hanif Abbasi v Imran Khan Niazi and others, Supreme Court <http://www.supremecourt.gov.pk/web/user_files/File/Const.P.35of2016_dt_15_12_2017.pdf>

[22].      Muhammad Hanif Abbasi v Jahangir Khan Tareen and others, Supreme Court <http://www.supremecourt.gov.pk/web/user_files/File/Const.P._36_2016_dt_15_12_2017.pd>f

[23]       Malik Muhammad Ashraf, The Legacy of a Military Dictator, 4th August 2017, The Nation <https://nation.com.pk/04-Aug-2017/the-legacy-of-a-military-dictator>

[24].      Babar Sattar, Case in Point: Justice seen to be done, 5th August 2017, The News <https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/221483-Legal-eye-Justice-seen-to-be-done>

[25].      Panama and its Afterlife, Samson Simon Sharaf, 8th April 2017, The Nation <https://nation.com.pk/08-Apr-2017/panama-and-its-afterlife>

[26]Justice Asif Saeed Khan Khosa, ‘Qualifications for candidates: A constitutional puzzle’, PLD [1988] Journal 272.

[27].      Dr. Dhrubajyoti Bhattacharjee, ‘The Dismissal of Nawaz Sharif by Supreme Court Bench: An Assessment’, 22nd August 2017 <http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:http://www.icwa.in/pdfs/VP/2014/TheDismissalofNawazSharifVP22082017.pdf>

[28]       The Constitution of The Islamic Republic of Pakistan1973, Article 8, <http://na.gov.pk/uploads/documents/1333523681_951.pdf>

[29].      Dr. Hina Khan, Chosen By The People: Articles 62, 63 and the issue of qualification and disqualification of public representatives, Pakistan Perspectives Vol. 20 (July- December 2015) <http://www.academia.edu/24667510/CHOSEN_BY_THE_PEOPLE_ARTICLES_62_63_AND_THE_ISSUE_OF_QUALIFICATION_AND_DISQUALIFICATION_OF_PUBLIC_REPRESENTATIVES.>

[30].      Norman E. Bowie, Ethical Issues in Government (Temple University Press 1981) p 3.

[31].      Hanna F. Pitkin, The Concept of Representation (University of California Press 1967).

[32].      Pakistan Penal Code (Act XLV of 1860) <http://www.pakistani.org/pakistan/legislation/1860/actXLVof1860.html>

[33].      Shahab Ahmed, What is Islam? The Importance of Being Islamic (Princeton University Press 2016).

[34].      Ali Khan, ‘Saving Islamic Democracy in Iran: The Governing Council should be Juristic, not political’<http://www.jurist.org/forum/forumnew136.php>

[36].      Immanuel Kant, The Groundwork of Metaphysics of Morals (1797).

[37].      Z.H Zaidi, Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah Papers (National Archives of Pakistan 1993).