ISLAMABAD: The PPP submitted a petition to the chief election commissioner on Friday, demanding disqualification of PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif from contesting election for violating the code of conduct by ‘misusing’ a photograph of Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry in an advertisement.

PPP leader Masud Kausar said at a press conference that the party had also requested the chief justice to take suo motu notice of the advertisement which appeared in newspapers on May 9 and ‘conspicuously’ carried a photograph of the chief justice with Mr Sharif.

The petition filed by PPP Secretary General Latif Khosa said the publication of the advertisement was tantamount to politicising the chief justice, he said. The petition said the publication of the photograph was apparently aimed at creating an impression that the chief justice and the judiciary supported the PML-N.

The PML-N had tried to use the photograph and the name of the chief justice and judiciary in its favour which could not be accepted under any theory and was not conducive to fair, free and transparent elections, the petition said.

The judiciary could neither be made controversial nor associated with any political party, particularly on the eve of elections when campaigning had come to an end, leaving no scope for rebuttal, the petition said.

Mr Kausar alleged that the caretaker government had withdrawn security of many prominent PPP leaders, including himself and former prime ministers Yousuf Raza Gilani and Raja Pervez Ashraf.

“Despite severe security threats, I am… moving in Islamabad without a single security guard,” he said.

Referring to the kidnapping of Ali Haider Gilani, son of Yousuf Raza Gilani, he said the incident was the result of inadequate security provided to the former prime minister and his sons in Multan on Thursday.

“If candidates of a particular political party are unsafe and cannot move out during their election campaigns how can we say a level playing field has been provided to all political parties,” he said.

However, he claimed that the PPP would emerge as the single largest party in May 11 elections and return to power.

Asked if a comprehensive policy had been adopted by the PPP-led government to uproot terrorism would the PPP be targeted the way it had been during electioneering, he said the party was on the hit list of terrorists because of action taken by its government and army against terrorists.

“Before the PPP government there was no writ of the government in tribal areas but now the situation has reversed.” He said they had shattered the network of terrorists, adding that if the PPP assumed power again it would root out remnants of terrorist groups.