SC to hear PPP candidate’s plea against Kulsoom Nawaz today

LAHORE: A three-member Supreme Court bench will start hearing of a petition on Monday against Lahore High Court (LHC) full bench’s decision to dismiss petitions challenging the acceptance of nomination papers of PML-N candidate Kulsoom Nawaz for the NA-120 by-election.

PPP candidate for the NA-120 by-poll, Faisal Mir, had challenged the LHC order in the Apex Court and a bench headed by Justice Gulzar Ahmed will hear his petition. The PPP leader has asked the SC to set aside the High Court's September 13 judgment, which dismissed the appeals challenging the acceptance of Kulsoom's nomination papers.

Mir has pointed out in his petition that Kulsoom failed to submit full details of her tax returns and statements of assets and liabilities. She concealed her properties and did not disclose a United Arab Emirates iqama (work permit) attached with her nomination papers, therefore she is ineligible to participate in the by-election under Articles 62 and 62 of the Constitution, the application said.

Advocate Ishtiaq Ahmad Chaudhry of the Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT), PPP's Faisal Mir and Nabeel Shahzad of the Milli Muslim League (MML) had filed the petitions in the High Court. They had challenged the decisions of the returning officer and an election tribunal whereby nomination papers of Kulsoom Nawaz were accepted.