In another embarrassment for Pakistan Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, the Supreme Court on Monday suspended the Senate membership of interior minister Rehman Malik.
A three-member Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry heard the dual nationality case and announced its interim order. Mr Malik had claimed he had forfeited his British citizenship in April 2008 but failed to provide sufficient documents to the SC.
Last week, the SC had also suspended the National Assembly membership of PPP leader Farahnaz Ispahani in the same case. “After the court’s decision, Mr Rehman Malik cannot remain a minister but can be appointed adviser to the PM. You have to be a member of the Senate or the National Assembly to be a minister,” a lawyer said.
A new petition submitted Monday also names 14 other legislators holding dual nationalities.
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Patnaik sacks a 3rd minister for revolt
Akshaya Kumar Sahoo
Bhubaneswar, June 4
Orissa chief minister and BJD president Naveen Patnaik on Monday sacked state housing, urban development and excise minister Sarada Prasad Nayak from his council of ministers for his alleged involvement in the failed May 29 “coup” bid led by party Rajya Sabha member Pyarimohan Mohapatra.
Mr Nayak is the third minister to be sacked in the BJD revolt. Earlier, women and child development Anjali Behera and transport minister Sanjeev Sahoo were dismissed from the state Cabinet for joining hands with the rebel leader.
The CM had also suspended dissident leader Mohapatra and two MLAs — Pravat Ranjan Biswal and Bibhuti Bhusan Balabantray — for engineering the plot.