MULTAN City News

Disqualification of PML-N candidate from contesting DC chairmanship poll

LHC Multan Bench issues notices to all parties

From Our Correspondent

MULTAN: Justice Ameenuddin Khan of the Lahore High Court Multan Bench on Monday issued notices to all parties concerned, including the ECP, for today on a petition filed by Dewan Abbas Bokhari, a PML-N candidate for the district council chairman slot, against his disqualification by an election tribunal.

Senior lawyer Malik Azhar Kamlana appeared on behalf of Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf candidate Omer Farooq Babar, stating that he did not receive any notice or copy of the petition. To it, the court ordered issuance of notices to all the parties concerned and adjourned the hearing for one day.

Earlier, Dewan Abbas Bokhari had won Union Council 180 chairman election. Later, he resigned from his office and filed nomination papers to contest NA-153 by-poll. In the meantime, the PML-N leaders negotiated with his father Dewan Ashiq Bokhari and offered the district council chairmanship on withdrawing candidature in favour of PML-N candidate Rana Qasim Noon. To it, Dewan Abbas Bokhari withdrew his candidature.

After it, Dewan Abbas Bokhari field his nomination papers for the district council chairman slot, but PTI candidate Omer Nawaz Babar challenged his candidature, stating that Dewan Muhammad Abbas had resigned from the UC chairmanship and, therefore, he was not eligible for contesting the election.

Returning Officer Sadia Mehr rejected the objections, saying that they were submitted after completion of scrutiny process.

Later, Omer Farooq Babar filed his petition before an election tribunal. The ET set aside the RO orders and upheld the objections raised by the applicant before the RO.