LAHORE: A Lahore High Court division bench dismissed on Wednesday a petition by Imran Sher Ali, brother of former state minister Abid Sher Ali, against the rejection of his nomination papers for PP-117, Faisalabad, by an appellate tribunal.

Mr Ali through a counsel pleaded that the returning officer had accepted his nomination papers, however, the appellate tribunal set aside the decision and disqualified him from contesting the general election. He said an objection was raised against him before the tribunal that he was a defaulter of the Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL).

The counsel argued that a factory defaulting on SNGPL dues was no more owned by the petitioner. However, he said, name of the petitioner was still in record of the Sui gas department against the connection installed at the factory. He said shares of the factory also stood transferred in the name of new owner. He said the present owner also filed an application to the SNGPL for the transfer of the gas connection to him.

He asked the bench to set aside the decision of tribunal and allow the petitioner to contest the polls.

However, the bench headed by Justice Syed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi, upheld the impugned decision of the tribunal and dismissed the petition of Imran Sher Ali.

Another division bench, headed by Justice Shams Mahmood Mirza, allowed brothers Saeed Akbar Niwani and Rasheed Akbar Niwani to contest the general election for NA-98 and PP-90, Bhakkar.

An appellate tribunal had disqualified both brothers on the ground of their previous disqualification by the Supreme Court for fake degrees in 2013.

Advocate Anwarul Haq Pannu represented the Niwani brothers and said the tribunal passed the impugned decision against the facts. He said the petitioners had been acquitted of the fake degree case by the high court and provisions of the Article 62 of the Constitution did not apply on them. The bench set aside the tribunal’s decision and allowed the petitioners to contest the polls.

Another division bench dismissed a petition against the acceptance of former prime minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gillani’s nomination papers for NA-158, Multan.

Nisar Ahmad had filed the petition accusing Mr Gilani of concealing details regarding the assets owned by his wife. Maulana Ashraf Jalali of the Tehreek Labaik filed a petition challenging rejection of his nomination papers by an appellate tribunal from NA-81, Gujranwala.

PML-N’s covering candidate from the constituency, Atif Farid Sabir, had challenged the nomination papers of Maulana Jalali before the tribunal. He accused him of not disclosing information about his income tax return.

He said Mr Jalali also failed to submit his passport to the returning officer despite an order issued by the Supreme Court. He said the returning officer ignored the facts and accepted nomination papers of Mr Jalali. The tribunal had accepted the appeal and set aside the decision of the returning officer disqualifying Maulana Jalali to contest the polls.

Published in Dawn, July 5th, 2018