Pakistan's Supreme Court today rejected a plea by ousted foreign minister Khawaja Asif to issue a stay order against his disqualification verdict by a high court.
Asif, 68, was disqualified by the Islamabad High Court (IHC) last month for having an employment contract with a UAE-based company while contesting polls in 2013.
Hours after the verdict, the election commission formally de-notified Asif as a member of the National Assembly, leading to his ouster as the foreign minister.
He challenged the decision in the Supreme Court where a three-member bench headed by Justice Umar Atta Bandial is hearing the appeal.
Asif, through his counsel Muneer Malik, asked the court to grant stay order against the verdict until the appeal was decided.