Lahore (June 29, 2018): Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi reached the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Friday for the hearing of his appeal against the tribunal’s verdict disqualifying him from contesting polls from his home constituency, NA-57 Murree.
A two-member bench is expected to take up the appeal today.
Former Prime Minister challenged the election tribunal decision in Lahore High Court yesterday.
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Earlier, Former Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi expressed concerns over his disqualification verdict and announced that he will “definitely” challenge the appellate tribunal’s decision.
Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said, “The election is not a game. It should not be turned into a spectacle.” He, however, denied any possibility that the PML-N could boycott the elections, asserting that he really “does not wish for things to get controversial”.
“I have not switched any loyalties,” he said, adding that “How can anyone claim I am not sadiq (honest) and ameen (trustworthy)?”
“How can a decision be made without having heard the defendant’s argument?” Abbasi asked, adding that he will definitely challenge the election tribunal’s decision.
Election tribunal in Rawalpindi disqualified former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi from contesting the upcoming elections declaring that he is not Sadiq (truthful) and Ameen (trustworthy).
A single-judge bench, in its written order, noted that Abbasi was “guilty of concealment of facts and withholding of complete information from his voters”.
Declaring that he is not ‘Sadiq’ and ‘Ameen’, the tribunal 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”.
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In his written order on the rejection of Abbasi, Judge Ibad ur Rehman Lodhi said that the former premier was “guilty of concealment of facts and withholding of the complete information from his voters”. He also went on to declare that Abbasi was not qualified to be elected a member of parliament according to Article 62(1)(f) of the constitution.
Elaborating on the decision, the judge stated that Abbasi had declared the value of his hose in Islamabad to be Rs300,000 but put it under mortgage against an amount of Rs24.7 million.
He also noted the discrepancies in two affidavits submitted by Abbasi as one had mentioned shares in Air Blue and Blue Pines Inn Murree, “after interpolation”, while the other did not.
Judge Rahman stated that the stance of the returning officer (RO) — who an inquiry has been initiated against — was different from that of Abbasi’s lawyer on the changes made to the affidavit.
Final list of candidates today
Candidates unwilling to contest the General Election 2018 have until today evening to withdraw their nomination papers.
After election tribunals wrapped up verdicts on appeals against objections to the decisions of returning officers on June 27, the revised list of candidates was issued on June 28.
The electoral body will announce the final list of candidates later today.
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Thursday asked candidates to submit party affiliation certificates by June 29.
It is mandatory for the candidates to submit their party tickets in order to be allotted their electoral symbols. Those who fail to do so will be considered independent candidates.
The elections are scheduled to be held on July 25, 2018.
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