LHC returns petition seeking CM Usman Buzdar’s disqualification

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court Registrar Office has raised objection and retuned a writ petition seeking disqualification of Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar for purportedly concealing facts about his assets in the nomination papers he had submitted before the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) during the 2018 general elections. Since Buzdar won election from PP-286, Taunsa Shareef, which falls under the territorial jurisdiction of the LHC Multan bench, the petitioner should approach the LHC Multan bench, the Registrar Office wrote in its objections. The office also objected to making the chief minister respondent in the petition, as according to it, the chief minister enjoys constitutional immunity. The petitioner, Abdul Waheed Khan Baloch, requested the court that the election of the CM be declared null and void after holding that he is not an honest person in light of Article 62 and Article 63 of the Constitution. The petitioner maintained that the respondent CM’s membership be de-notified and he be restrained to exercise his powers as Punjab’s chief minister till final disposal of this petition. The petitioner contended that the respondent CM submitted his nomination papers for the seat of member of provincial assembly from PP-286, Taunsa Sharif, Dera Ghazi Khan-II, and the same were accepted by the officer concerned after formal security. The total value of the assets, which Buzdar mentioned in form B of his nomination papers, was Rs 25 million but at the same time, he mentioned his assets as Rs 761,893 in column T of the declaration and affidavit. The petitioner contended that it is clear that the respondent CM concealed the facts and mentioned wrong details in the declaration and affidavit and submitted a false affidavit along with nomination forms.