tribunal order: Supreme Court de-notifies PML-N lawmaker

Rashida Yaqoob won general elections in 2013 for the Punjab Assembly Her victory was later challenged by ASWJ chief

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court upheld an election tribunal order de-notifying a PML-N legislator for concealing her husband’s loan default.

Rashida Yaqoob contested the general elections in 2013 for the Punjab Assembly from the constituency of PP-78 Jhang 11. She won the election and was declared as returned candidate on May 22.

Her victory was later challenged by Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat (ASWJ) chief Maulana Muhammad Ahmed Ludhianvi and others before the election tribunal in Lahore. They contended that the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) data showed that the spouse of the PML-N MPA had defaulted on a loan on April 3, 2013.

The election tribunal directed the ECP on January 14 to de-notify her as MPA and hold a fresh election in the constituency.

Later, Rashida Yaqoob challenged the order in the Supreme Court, but her plea was rejected.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 9^th, 2016.