Punjab Assembly polls: LHC rejects objections against Nasir Butt’s nomination papers

ISLAMABAD: The Lahore High Court (LHC) Monday rejected objections on acceptance of the nomination papers, filed by Nasir Mahmood Butt of the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PMLN) for the Punjab Assembly’s PA-118 Rawalpindi constituency.

The court declared that the petitioner failed to provide any evidence to establish his allegations. Nasir Butt is a close aide of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, who reportedly asked him to contest polls from the Rawalpindi constituency on the PMLN ticket.

One Adeel Khan of Rawalpindi had filed a constitutional petition challenging acceptance of Nasir Butt’s nomination papers by the returning officer of the constituency. The petitioner pleaded that Nasir Butt was dual national as he had a British passport also, and he had also allegedly been involved in heinous offences.

He argued that the FIA had issued red warrants for Nasir Butt and it remained engaged with the international agencies to arrest him. Nasir Butt had played key role in tapping deceased judge Arshad Malik, who had sentenced Nawaz Sharif to five-year rigorous imprisonment. However, later on he made a statement on video that he was pressurised and blackmailed for handing down sentence to the PMLN supremo.

Nasir Butt left for Europe and stayed in self exile for more than three years. He spent most of that period with Nawaz Sharif in London. Recently, the FIA cancelled his warrants and he returned home. The court asked the complainant for production of evidence in support of his allegations. However, he failed to do so. Talking to his supporters after the court proceedings, Nasir Butt hoped Nawaz Sharif would return to the country soon and lead the PMLN in elections.