Bench formed to hear plea against Kulsoom’s papers dissolved

LAHORE :A Lahore High Court three-member full bench formed to hear a petition challenging decisions of returning officer and an election tribunal regarding acceptance of PML-N Kulsoom Nawaz’s nomination papers for NA-120 by-poll was dissolved on Wednesday after its head Justice Farrukh Irfan Khan declined to sit on the bench. 

Justice Muhammad Kazim Raza Shamsi and Justice Ali Akbar Qureshi were the other members of the bench. As the court took up the petition filed by candidate of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Faisal Mir, Justice Khan rescued himself from the bench, citing personal reasons. The judges referred the petition to acting chief justice for the constitution of a new bench on the matter. Mir had contended that the returning officer and the election tribunal brushed aside his objections raised on the candidature of Ms Nawaz and accepted her nomination papers. He pleaded that neither RO nor the tribunal looked into the details of the objections regarding concealment of assets by the PML-N’s candidate. He stated the declaration filed by Ms Nawaz regarding her and her spouse’s assets were entirely false and misleading. The PPP’s candidate asked the court to set aside the decisions of RO and the election tribunal and reject the nomination papers of Kulsoom Nawaz for the by-poll in NA-120. Election Commission of Pakistan, Security and Exchange Commission of Pakistan, National Accountability Bureau, State Bank of Pakistan and Federal Investigation of Agency have also been made parties in the petition. 

PAT: Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) has filed a petition in the Lahore High Court against the acceptance of Kulsoom Nawaz’s nomination papers for the by-poll in NA-120. PAT’s leader Advocate Ishtiaq Ahmad Ch alleged in his petition that Kulsoom Nawaz concealed an FIR on treason charges registered against her during the Musharraf regime. The petitioner alleged that the PML-N’s candidate concealed her assets and income in the nomination papers. He said the respondent candidate showed her a dependent of her spouse Nawaz Sharif, but she was a share holder of many companies. Ishtiaq Ahmad Ch said Ms Nawaz failed to disclose agreement and salary for a UAE Iqama (work permit) attached with her nomination papers. He alleged the PML-N’s candidate was also a defaulter of agriculture income tax and concealed details of her Murree residence.  The petitioner said the RO and election tribunal dismissed his appeals without going into details of the objections. He asked the court to set aside the impugned decisions and reject the nomination papers of Kulsoom Nawaz.