LHC dismisses petitions against Kulsoom Nawaz

Petitioners counsel argued that neither returning officer nor the tribunal looked into the details of their objections

LAHORE: A three-member bench of the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Wednesday dismissed petitions challenging the candidature of PML-N candidate Begum Kulsoom Nawaz for NA-120 by-election, by a two to one majority vote.

The bench, comprising Justice Aminuddin Khan, Justice Ibadur Rehman Lodhi and Justice Shahid Jamil Khan, heard the petitions filed by PPP candidate Faisal Mir and others. During the course of proceedings, the petitioners counsel argued that neither the returning officer nor the tribunal looked into the details of their objections, including concealment of assets by the PML-N's candidate.



Kulsoom's counsel opposed the contentions of the petitioners and submitted that baseless allegations were leveled against the acceptance of her nomination papers.

 

Maryam, the daughter of the deposed premier Nawaz, urged the crowd present in the convention to become part of the history by supporting her mother, Kulsoom Nawaz, who is contesting on the NA-120 seat.

The seat fell vacant after the Supreme Court’s landmark July 28 verdict, disqualifying Nawaz Sharif as the prime minister. According to the judgment, the PML-N leader failed to declare a salary, which he had not withdrawn as an executive of a Dubai-based company, as an asset when filing his nomination papers in 2013.

Of her mother, Maryam said she was standing up against tyrants by contesting the by-elections.

'Nawaz Sharif' files nomination papers for NA-120 by-poll

“My mother stood up against the dictator of her times even though our family tradition did not allow women to go out of their home,” she said implying the Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf’s era when Nawaz was deseated.

She went on to add that people have already given their verdict that they are against the discrimination Nawaz was subjected to during the G T Road rally by joining their leader in huge numbers.

“The PML-N is spreading all across the country which is an encouraging thing for party workers, for me and our leader, Nawaz Sharif,” she said.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 14^th, 2017.