Pak government files review petition against Sharif brothers’ disqualification

May 26th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - Revoking the Lahore High Court's verdict to disqualify former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his brother Shahbaz Sharif from contesting elections, the Pakistan Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday declared the Sharif brothers eligible for fighting elections. The five-member SC bench headed by Justice Tassadaq Hussain Jilani, while hearing the review petitions filed by the Sharifs' against their disqualification on the conviction in plane hijacking case and default case respectively ordered to lift the ban from them.

April 21st, 2009 ISLAMABAD - The Supreme Court will hear May 11 a petition against its order barring former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and his brother from contesting elections or holding public office. The court had March 31 suspended its order of Feb 25 against Shahbaz Sharif, enabling him reclaim his job as the chief minister of Punjab province.

March 31st, 2009 ISLAMABAD - Deposed Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has been reinstated on the post following a Supreme Court's stay order against its earlier judgment which disqualified the Sharif brothers' from contesting elections and holding office. The apex court bench headed by Justice Tassaduq Hussain Jilani ordered Shahbaz Sharif's government to be restored with immediate effect till the court announces a final verdict in the eligibility case.

March 28th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - Former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and deposed Punjab chief minister Shahbaz Sharif have filed a petition in the Supreme Court pleading to the apex court to make them parties in the disqualification revision petitions' hearings. Advocates Abid Hassan Manto and Khawaja Haris filed the petition on behalf of the leaders, and also urged the court to declare the earlier ex-party decision as obsolete.

March 22nd, 2009 ISLAMABAD - The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz will not pressurize the PPP Government to lift Governor's Rule in Punjab before the Supreme Court's verdict on a review petition against the disqualification of the Sharif brothers, the Daily Times has reported. There is a tacit understanding between the PML-n and Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani following the successful lawyers' March and the restoration of the judiciary, sources said.

March 20th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - The Pakistan Supreme Court's Registrar Office has returned the review petition of the Sharif brothers' disqualification case saying that it lacked the necessary documents. According to sources, the review petition did not included the security bonds of the petitioners and the paper book on the cases.

March 18th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has rejected reports that the government is planning to curtail the powers of the Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Chaudhry. Gilani said: "Such negativism should be discouraged", while adding that by reinstating Chaudhry, the government had amicably resolved the national issue of the independence of judiciary "in accordance with Benazir Bhutto's vision and President Asif Zardari's promise".

March 17th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - A review petition will be filed on the disqualification case of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and his brother following the government's decision to reinstate deposed Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry. Pakistan's Attorney General Latif Khosa has directed the deputy attorney general to file a review petition in the Sharif brothers' eligibility case, Geo TV channel said.

March 17th, 2009 LONDON - British Foreign Secretary David Miliband has welcomed reports that the Pakistan government will seek to revoke the disqualification of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, but expressed concern at the arrests of his supporters. Miliband said he was concerned by recent events in Pakistan and had discussed them with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and US special envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan, Richard Holbrooke.

March 15th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - Pakistan Government has decided to restore the deposed judges in the light of Charter of Democracy. It will also file a review petition in the Supreme Court on disqualification of Sharif brothers.

March 15th, 2009 RAWALPINDI - Pakistan intelligence agencies have confirmed reports about a possible terror attack on former Pakistan Prime Minister and PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif and his brother Shahbaz Sharif during the Long March. Police have expressed fears that the Sharif brothers' might be targeted during a public rally.

March 14th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - PML-N Senator Ishaq Dar has claimed that as per information about 200 criminals have been sent to Punjab with the target to assassinate the Sharif brothers on the whim of some high official of the PPP-led Government. Speaking after the election of chairman and deputy chairman of the Senate, Dar criticised the government for arresting party leaders including Raja Zafarul Haq and Zafar Ali Shah, in violation of the statement of the Interior Advisor that no directive has been issued to arrest people.

March 14th, 2009 KARACHI - The former Pakistan Prime Minister and PML-N chief, Nawaz Sharif and his brother, sacked Punjab Chief Minister, Shahbaz Sharif may have garnered huge public support against the PPP led government and especially against President Asif Ali Zardari, but their voracious verbal attack on Zardari and continuous call to defy the government's orders has now seen a case filed against them in the Sindh High Court (SHC) on charges of orchestrating a mutiny. Pakistan Awami Himayat Tehrik leader Maulvi Iqbal Haider has filed a petition against the Sharif brother's for provoking people to disobey official orders.

February 26th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - Pakistan teetered on the brink of political crisis Wednesday after the Supreme Court barred former prime minister Nawaz Sharif from contesting the polls and also declared null and void the election of his brother, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif. The verdict led to the fall of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government in the country's most politically consequential province.

February 26th, 2009 ISLAMABAD - Pakistan's Supreme Court Wednesday barred former prime minister Nawaz Sharif from contesting elections and declared null and void the election of his younger brother, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, leading to the fall of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government in the country's most politically consequential province. Protests broke out all over Pakistan, particularly in the politically influential province of Punjab, the power base of the PML-N.