RAWALPINDI - An Appellate Election Tribunal of the Lahore High Court Rawalpindi Bench Wednesday disqualified Nawaz League stalwart and former premier Shahid Khaqan Abbasi from contesting general elections 2018 on NA-57 Murree seat.
The AET also rejected the nomination papers of PML-N candidate Bilal Azhar Kiyani, PTI leaders Fawad Chaudhry for NA-67 (Jhelum-II), Sardar Ghulam Abbas and his covering candidate Sardar Aftab Akbar for NA-64 (Chakwal-I).
The nomination papers of the candidates were rejected by the AET of LHC Rawalpindi Bench Justice Ibad-Ur-Rehman Lodhi.
Earlier, the AET of LHC Rawalpindi Bench had sustained an appeal against Abbasi’s candidature in NA-57 (Murree).
According to details, an election tribunal comprised Justice Ibad-Ur-Rehman Lodhi rejected nomination papers of five bigwigs of PML-N and PTI, including former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Bilal Azhar Kiyani, PTI’s central secretary information Fawad Chaudhry, Sardar Aftab Akbar and Sardar Ghulam Abbas.
Justice Lodhi, in his written order, noted that the former premier Abbasi was “guilty of concealment of facts and withholding of the complete information from his voters.” The tribunal while declaring him not ‘Sadiq’ and ‘Ameen’, stated that Abbasi was “not a qualified person to be elected or chosen as a member of majlis-e-shoora (parliament) within the meaning of Article 62(1)(f) of the Constitution of Pakistan.”
“Responding to the submissions of learned counsel for respondent that unless there is a declaration of any court of law under which a person can be declared as not qualified or not honest and Ameen, I declare that this tribunal constituted under the statutory provisions of a federal statue is a court of law and after declaring that Shahid Khaqan Abbasi being guilty of concealment of facts and withholding of the complete information from his voters is not an honest and Ameen person and after such declaration, declare him as not a qualified person to be elected or chosen as a member of Majlis-e-Shoora (parliament) within the meaning of Article 62(1)(f) of the Constitution of Pakistan,” Justice Lodhi said in his judgement.
Abbasi’s nomination papers were challenged by a citizen.
The applicant’s lawyer argued Abbasi grabbed forest land of Lawrence College in the garb of lease. He added the candidate also showed less price of his house located in F/7-2 in the nomination papers. He also alleged the nomination papers of PML-N stalwart were also tempered by an RO. He also argued that Abbasi owned Air Blue but had not showed his assets in the nomination papers.
The AET of LHC Rawalpindi Bench chaired by Justice Lodhi also remarked in his verdict that PTI’s candidate Sardar Ghulam Abbas has also concealed his assets at the time of submitting nomination papers with the RO; therefore he has also been disqualified from contesting general elections for life. Qazi Umer, through Sardar Abdur Raziq Advocate had challenged the nomination papers of Sardar Ghulam Abbas with AET of LHC Rawalpindi Bench. Nomination papers of Sardar Ghulam Abbas’s covering candidate Sardar Aftab Akbar Khan were also rejected from NA-64 and PP-23 by the AET for concealing assets.
Similarly, the nomination papers of PTI candidate Fawad Chaudhry were rejected because he mentioned his name as Fawad Ahmed in the NADRA’s CNIC besides hiding loan which was lent to her wife’s company. Fawad’s nomination papers were challenged by Justice Party’s candidate Syed Fakhar Abbas.
The nomination papers of PML-N candidate for NA-67 Bilal Azhar Kiyani were also rejected by Justice Ibad-Ur-Rehman Lodhi for having dual nationality. Earlier, the RO of NA-67 had filed a reference against the dual nationality of Bilal Azhar Kiyani.
However, the AET of LHC Rawalpindi Bench allowed PTI candidate Amir Kiyani for contesting elections from NA-61 while dismissing the appeal of Muhammad Asif.
ABBASI TO MOVE SJC AGAINST TRIBUNAL JUDGE
Talking to a private TV channel on Wednesday night, former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said lifetime disqualification is tantamount to personal attack and claimed Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) appellate tribunal has surpassed its jurisdiction.
Abbasi announced to challenge the disqualification verdict in Islamabad High Court (IHC). “There was no mistake in my documents. I submitted two separate sets of evidence to avoid any error. My counsel added new line in the affidavit before submission of the nomination papers. The judge instructed my lawyer to add the missing line in the affidavit as he has the jurisdiction to do so,” stated Abbasi while adding that he would move Supreme Judicial Council against the appellate tribunal judge.
Abbasi also dismissed allegations of misrepresentation in the nomination papers.
SPOUSE TO CONTEST ELECTION
Online adds: In case Abbasi is disqualified by the higher judiciary, his spouse Samina Abbasi will contest election from NA-57.
Samina Abbasi was the covering candidate of her husband Shahid Khaqan Abbasi.
Abbasi would soon file an application in high court and if it upholds his disqualification, then his wife would take part in elections in his place.
Ex-PM Abbasi barred from contesting polls
ISRAR AHMED
