Pleas against mayor disposed of

LAHORE

The Lahore High Court Chief Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah on Monday disposed of the petitions challenging eligibility of unopposed elected Lahore Mayor Col ® Mubashir Javed.

The chief justice held that the petitioners should first approach the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to redress their grievance.

A local resident Abdur Rehman filed the petition and another moved the petition. Petitioner counsel Sheraz Zaka submitted that Mubashir Javed had been in government service and could not contest election before a period of two years after leaving the job. He said the mayor also served as chief warden of civil defence department and member of Evacuee Trust Property Board.

He said Mubashir Javed was not eligible to contest any election and should be declared disqualified to hold office of mayor.

An assistant advocate general Anwaar Hussain while opposing the petition said that petitioner had not provided the court with any documentary evidence to prove his allegations against the mayor. He said the petition failed to establish that Mubashir Javed had been getting remuneration from the government against any service and the petition should be dismissed.

In reply to these petitions, an additional advocate general said the petitions were not maintainable. He claimed that the petitioners were not aggrieved persons. He also said that the petitioners had to approach the ECP.