Umar Gandapur, Shah Muhammad eligible for LG polls

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) Friday declared Umar Amin Gandapur and Khyber-Pakhtunkhawa’s Minister Shah Muhammad as eligible to contest the elections, while turning down the decision of Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

However, the court upheld the decision regarding imposing fine on Ali Amin Gandapur. Chief Justice Athar Minallah announced the judgment on petitions of Umar Amin Gandapur and Shah Muhammad against the ECP decision.

He remarked that first the ECP had to impose fine on Umar Amin, adding that the step of disqualification comes after it. How the ECP could bypass the fine phase, he remarked. The court, subsequently, allowed Umar Amin Gandapur to participate in Mayor’s elections from Dera Ismail Khan.

The court also turned down the ECP decision of declaring Shah Muhammad Khan disqualified for five years in a complaint regarding creating disorder during the local body elections in tehsil Bakakhel. The court, however, upheld the decision of ECP for disqualifying Mamoonur Rashid for elections.