SC allows Wasan to contest election

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Thursday allowed the Pakistan Peoples Party leader Manzoor Wasan to contest the election.

A three-member bench of the apex court, headed by Chief Justice Umer Ata Bandial, heard the appeal of the PPP leader on rejection of his nomination papers during the 2018 general elections on account of concealing Iqama (work permit) in the nomination papers.

During the hearing, the court observed that the decision of the Sindh High Court would not be a hurdle in way of Manzoor Wasan for contesting elections in future, as any objection if raised against the content of nomination papers should be examined separately.

Khalid Javed, the counsel for Wasan, submitted that the apex court had clearly held that concealing assets in the nomination papers by any member of parliament could lead to disqualification if done so with mala fide intention. He contended that his client had not concealed his Iqama with mala fide intention.

It is pertinent to mention that the Sindh High Court (SHC), Sukkur bench, had upheld the Election Tribunal’s verdict which disqualified PPP leader Manzoor Hussain Wasan in 2018 for contesting the general elections 2018 for not mentioning the Iqama in his nomination papers. Shahnawaz Talpur, a rival candidate belonging to Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) for Khairpur’s PS-27 seat, had challenged the nomination papers of Wasan.