Islamabad: The Supreme Court of Pakistan (SC) on Friday annulling an election tribunal verdict of rejections of nominations papers against ex-chief minister Punjab Pervez Elahi contesting elections from PP-32 Gujrat as well as Tahir Saddiq from NA-49 Attock and Umar Aslam from NA-87 Khushab and allowed them contesting the elections.
The SC three-member bench headed by Justice Mansoor Ali Shah heard the ex-chief minister Punjab petition against an election tribunal for not allowing his contesting the general elections.
Pervez Elahi counsel Faisal Siddique contended that his client was hurled accusation of not declaring a plot while receiving date of plot was written on the day when former chief minister was in jail.
He said that we don’t want delaying of the elections and his client be allowed to contest elections from PP-32 Gujrat.
The opponent candidate against Pervez Elahi, Arsalan Israr counsel Hafiz Ahsan Khokhar said that we got the document of the 10 Marla plot from patwari.
During the course of the hearing the court said that voters should not be deprive of from their rights of votes adding a Returning officer job is to create facilitation instead of creating hurdles in the elections.
The court said that it is odd that all this things are happening against one single party adding that the meaning of elections is to include people not to oust them.
Justice Mansoor said that under the article 17 no any candidate can be stopped for contesting the elections without any solid reasons.
The court approving the plea of Pervez Elahi declared the election tribunal verdict null and void while ordered the ECP to publish Pervez Elahi name and election symbol on the ballot papers.
The court said that someone can’t be stopped contesting elections just because of being an absconder adding that contesting the elections is the basic right, the court remarked in rejections of nominations papers of the PTI leaders Umar Aslam and Tahid Saddiq.
The top court allowed the PTI leaders Umar Aslam and Tahir Saddiq contesting the elections.
