Article 62 of the Constitution of Pakistan
The complete, plain-language guide to the qualifications for Parliament — the famous “sadiq and ameen” clause, the disqualifications of Article 63, and the court battles that defined them both.
Last updated: 11 October 2026
Quick answer: Article 62 of Pakistan’s 1973 Constitution sets the qualifications for membership of Parliament (Majlis-e-Shoora) — citizenship, age, and character requirements. Its most debated clause, Article 62(1)(f), requires a member to be “sagacious, righteous, non-profligate, honest and ameen” — the provision used to disqualify Nawaz Sharif in the 2017 Panama Papers case. Article 63 lists the disqualifications — from unsound mind and insolvency to convictions for moral turpitude. In January 2024, a seven-member Supreme Court bench ruled 6–1 that disqualification under 62(1)(f) is not for life.
At a glance
Articles 62 & 63 in Numbers
Two short articles, five decades of controversy — the figures behind Pakistan’s most litigated constitutional provisions.
Constitution adopted
8th Amendment added the character clauses
Panama case disqualification
Lifetime ban overruled 6–1
Qualifications
What Article 62 Actually Says
Article 62 answers one question: who is qualified to be elected to Parliament? The current text has seven clauses.
| Clause | Requirement |
|---|---|
| 62(1)(a) | Must be a citizen of Pakistan. |
| 62(1)(b) | For the National Assembly: enrolled as a voter and not less than 25 years of age. |
| 62(1)(c) | For the Senate: enrolled as a voter and not less than 30 years of age. |
| 62(1)(d) | Of good character and not commonly known as one who violates Islamic injunctions. |
| 62(1)(e) | Adequate knowledge of Islamic teachings, practises the obligatory duties of Islam, and abstains from major sins. |
| 62(1)(f) | Sagacious, righteous, non-profligate, honest and ameen — with no court declaration to the contrary. |
| 62(1)(g) | Has not, since the establishment of Pakistan, worked against the integrity of the country or opposed the ideology of Pakistan. |
The character clauses — (d), (e), (f) and (g) — were inserted by General Zia-ul-Haq’s Eighth Amendment in 1985. The original 1973 text was limited to the objective tests of citizenship, age and voter enrolment. Parliament may also prescribe further qualifications by ordinary legislation.
The famous clause
Article 62(1)(f): “Sadiq and Ameen”
No clause of the Constitution has ended more political careers. Here is why it is so powerful — and so controversial.
The text
“He is sagacious, righteous and non-profligate, honest and ameen, there being no declaration to the contrary by a court of law.” Sagacious means wise in judgement; ameen means trustworthy — the title given to the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) in Mecca.
The Panama precedent
On 28 July 2017, a five-member Supreme Court bench disqualified Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif under Article 62(1)(f) in the Panama Papers case, holding he was not “honest and ameen” for failing to disclose a receivable salary from a Dubai company. It remains the highest-profile use of the clause.
The lifetime question
In the Sami Ullah Baloch case (2018), the Supreme Court held that disqualification under 62(1)(f) lasts for life — barring Nawaz Sharif and PTI’s Jahangir Tareen from elections permanently.
Not for life
In January 2024, a seven-member bench ruled 6–1 that the lifetime reading was wrong: the Constitution does not permanently disqualify even convicted criminals, so it cannot permanently disqualify on the vaguer tests of character. Disqualification now follows the period set by electoral law (five years under the Elections Act 2017 as amended).
Disqualifications
Article 63: The Disqualifications
If Article 62 is the entry test, Article 63 is the list of automatic failures. A person shall be disqualified from Parliament if any of the following apply:
| Clause | Disqualification |
|---|---|
| 63(1)(a) | Of unsound mind, as declared by a competent court. |
| 63(1)(b) | An undischarged insolvent. |
| 63(1)(c) | Ceases to be a Pakistani citizen or acquires foreign citizenship. |
| 63(1)(d) | Holds an office of profit in the service of Pakistan (other than offices exempted by law). |
| 63(1)(e) | In the service of a statutory body or a government-owned or controlled body. |
| 63(1)(g) | Convicted for propagating opinions prejudicial to the ideology, sovereignty, integrity or security of Pakistan — or defaming the judiciary or armed forces — unless 5 years have passed since release. |
| 63(1)(h) | Convicted of an offence involving moral turpitude and sentenced to 2+ years’ imprisonment, unless 5 years have passed since release. |
| 63(1)(i)–(j) | Dismissed, removed or compulsorily retired from government service on grounds of misconduct, unless 5 years have passed. |
| 63(1)(k) | In the service of Pakistan or a statutory/government body at the time of election. |
| 63(1)(l) | Holds a contract for supplying goods or services to the government (with exceptions). |
| 63(1)(n) | Obtained a loan of Rs 2 million or more and failed to repay it a year after the due date. |
| 63(1)(o) | Defaulter on government dues of Rs 10,000 or more for over six months. |
| 63(1)(p) | Disqualified under any other law in force. |
Note the built-in time limits: most conviction-based disqualifications expire five years after release or dismissal. Article 62(1)(f), by contrast, carried no time limit in its text — which is exactly why the “lifetime vs limited” battle went to the Supreme Court.
1973 → 2024
Timeline: The Cases That Defined 62 & 63
How two short articles became the most fought-over words in Pakistani law.
The original text
The 1973 Constitution sets simple, objective qualifications: citizenship, age, voter enrolment. Disqualifications mirror them.
The Eighth Amendment
General Zia-ul-Haq’s amendment inserts the moral and religious clauses — good character, Islamic knowledge, “sagacious, righteous, non-profligate, honest and ameen” — into Article 62, and expands Article 63.
The Panama verdict
The Supreme Court disqualifies Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif under Article 62(1)(f) in the Panama Papers case — the clause’s most consequential use.
Lifetime disqualification
In Sami Ullah Baloch v Abdul Karim Nousherwani, the Court rules that a 62(1)(f) disqualification lasts for life.
The reversal
A seven-member bench, 6–1, overrules the lifetime reading: disqualification under 62(1)(f) cannot be permanent when the Constitution sets time limits even for convicted criminals. The period is governed by electoral law — five years under the amended Elections Act 2017.
The current position
Candidates file nomination papers declaring their qualifications; returning officers and election tribunals scrutinise them; the courts remain the final judges of “sadiq and ameen”.
The appeal route
Article 185: Where Appeals Go
Decisions on 62 and 63 are made by returning officers, tribunals and High Courts — but Article 185 gives the Supreme Court the final word through its appellate jurisdiction.
Appeals as of right
An appeal lies automatically where a High Court reverses an acquittal and imposes death or life imprisonment, punishes for contempt, or decides a property dispute above the monetary threshold with the judgment varied below.
Constitutional questions
An appeal also lies where the High Court certifies the case involves a substantial question of law on the interpretation of the Constitution — the route most 62/63 disputes take.
Leave to appeal
Everything else reaches the Supreme Court only if it grants leave to appeal — the Court’s discretionary filter for cases deserving a hearing.
Questions, answered
Frequently Asked Questions
The questions students, candidates and voters actually ask about Articles 62 and 63.
What is Article 62 of the Constitution of Pakistan?
What is Article 63 of the Constitution of Pakistan?
What does “sadiq and ameen” mean in Article 62?
Is disqualification under Article 62(1)(f) for life?
What is the difference between Article 62 and Article 63?
What is Article 185 of the Constitution of Pakistan?
Go deeper on each article
Clause-by-clause explainers for Article 62, Article 63, Article 185, and a side-by-side comparison of 62 vs 63.
Feature Pakistan’s constitutional guides summarise the text of the 1973 Constitution and reported case law in plain language. They are not legal advice. Text and rulings last checked on 11 October 2026.