Verdict on NA-122 plea reserved

An election tribunal on Friday reserved verdict on maintainability of election petition filed by PTI candidate Abdul Aleem Khan in the NA-122 (Lahore) bye-election till January 26.

The tribunal comprising Judge Muhammad Rasheed Qamar heard the matter. Earlier, National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq’s counsel Khawaja Haris questioning the maintainability of the plea submitted that electoral list could not be challenged before election tribunal as the issue did not fall under its jurisdiction.

He said the oath commissioner's stamp and date was missing in the election petition and as per Supreme Court’s judgement, such a petition was not maintainable. He further said that the allegations levelled in the petition were baseless. He pleaded the court to dismiss the petition for being non-maintainable.

However, Aleem Khan's counsel Anees Hashmi opposed the request and submitted that all legal requirements were fulfilled and election tribunal was empowered to hear the matter as per Representation of People’s Act.

The tribunal after hearing detailed arguments of both parties reserved the verdict on maintainability of the election petition till January 26.