MPA who removed Qureshi from CM race disqualified

MULTAN: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) disqualified the PTI MPA from PP-217 Multan-VII, Sheikh Salman Naeem, and withdrew from the notification of the candidate’s victory in a judgment reserved earlier and declared on Monday, sources said.

The ECP also ordered re-election in the constituency in response of two separate election petitions filed by Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi and Makhdoom Akmal Hashmi, challenging the victory of candidate and seeking his disqualification for violating Article 62 and 63.

The petitioners submitted evidence of his fake submission of assets’ details in his nomination papers for the general elections 2018 and alleged that the candidate had concealed his confirmed date of birth in his nomination forms.

Talking to The News Multan ECP Deputy Director Shakil Ahmed said the Commission in Islamabad made the decision. Earlier, a citizen from PP-217, Makhdoom Akmal Hashmi, had filed his petition at the Multan office of ECP, which was later forwarded to Islamabad for trial. The petitioner had been made a party in a plea filed by Qureshi who was asked to submit a reply.

The foreign minister submitted his reply on September 17, seeking disqualification of the MPA and declaration of his victory notification being the runner-up from the constituency. However, the ECP ordered re-election instead of declaring Qureshi as winner.

The ECP continued trial of petitions, hearing arguments from both sides and reserved the judgment on September 26 and fixed October 1(Monday) as the date for its announcement.

The disqualification may lead to major changes in the Punjab government in the coming days, as Qureshi was a strong candidate for the chief minister but had lost election against Salman. He complained with the party leadership that Jehangir Tareen was backing Salman. Later, Qureshi resisted the party when Tareen brought Salman in the PTI.

Earlier, Tareen had also played a key role in Usman Buzdar’s decision to join the party and later he made efforts to induct Buzdar as the Punjab chief minister with a view that he would vacate the office for him after his removal from lifetime disqualification through a review petition, the PTI insiders revealed to The News. However, the Supreme Court turned down his review petition on September 27.

The ECP’s decision means Qureshi can contest the by-election. If Qureshi wins by-poll then he would be a strong candidate for chief minister’ office aimed Jehangir Tareen’s lifetime disqualification.

Nine candidates contested from PP-217 in the July 25 general elections. Qureshi on a PTI ticket received 31,716 votes and remained runner-up while Salman, who was an independent candidate, bagged 35,294 votes. PML-N’s nominee Tasnim Kosar got 21, 618 votes followed by PPP’s Kalsoom Naz 3,963 votes and MMA’s Khalid Munir 676 votes. Monitoring desk adds: The ECP in Islamabad ordered an inquiry against the PTI leader Abdul Aleem Khan for submitting fake affidavits, Geo News reported.

Chief Election Commissioner Justice (retd) Sardar Muhammad Raza Khan heard a petition filed by PML-N leader Sardar Ayaz Sadiq. He had moved the ECP against Aleem for filing fake affidavits to support his petition to declare NA-122, Lahore by-election results null and void as they were held under previous delimitation. In his petition, the PML-N leader further stated that the Punjab senior minister had also submitted fake affidavits regarding transfer of votes in the NA-122 constituency. Accepting Ayaz Sadiq's petition, the ECP directed him to submit his plea in sessions' court. The ECP also ordered an inquiry against the Punjab senior minister.