LAHORE - The Lahore High Court Wednesday turned down a petition of Imran Sher Ali, brother of former minister Abid Sher Ali, against rejection of his nomination papers by an appellate tribunal from PP-117, Faisalabad.

A two-member bench headed by Justice Sayyed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi passed the order by upholding the decision of the appellate tribunal against Imran Sher Ali.

A returning officer had accepted nomination papers of Imran Sher Ali but an appellate tribunal set aside the decision of the RO and disqualified him to contest the general election. 

However, Imran Sher Ali challenged the decision saying that an objection was raised against him that he was a defaulter of Sngpl. 

The petitioner through his counsel said that he did not own the factory for which he was declared defaulter of SNGPL.  He said a new person had owned the factory but still the name of the petitioner was in the record of sui gas department.

He said under the law he was not responsible for any liability of the factory as he had already sold it. The petitioner prayed to the court to set aside the decision of the tribunal and allow him to contest the election.

However, the bench, after hearing arguments of both sides, dismissed the petition of Imran Sher Ali.

Another division bench led by Justice Shams Mahmood Mirza allowed petition of two brothers Saeed Akbar Niwani and Rasheed Akbar Niwani against rejection of their nomination papers by an appellate tribunal to contest election from NA-98 and PP-90 Bhakkar respectively.

An appellate tribunal had disqualified both brothers to contest election on the basis of a Supreme Court’s decision about their disqualification in 2013 for having fake degrees.

Niwani brothers had moved the petition through Advocate Anwarul Haq Pannu  arguing that the tribunal passed the impugned decision against the facts. Their counsel contended that they had been acquitted in the fake degree case by the high court and provisions of the Article 62 of the Constitution did not apply on them. After hearing arguments, the bench set aside the tribunal’s decision and allowed Niwani brothers to contest the polls.

In a separate development, a division bench turned down a petition against acceptance of nomination papers of former prime minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gillani to contest electioin from NA-158, Multan.

Nisar Ahmad had moved the petition against Gillani’s papers accusing him of concealing details about assets owned by his wife.  Tehreek Labaik leader Maulana Ashraf Jalali also approached the LHC against rejection of his nomination papers by an appellate tribunal for NA-81, Gujranwala. The court accepted his petition and allowed him to contest election.