LHC dismisses petition seeking to disbar Ishaq Dar from Senate elections
Special bench dismisses request filed by PPP leader, clears way for Dar to contest elections
Former Finance Minister Ishaq Dar. PHOTO: AFP
The Lahore High Court (LHC) has allowed former finance minister Ishaq Dar to contest Senate elections, according to Express News.
A special bench of the LHC consisting of Justice Abid Aziz Shaikh and Justice Jawad Hasan on Friday rejected objections raised against the acceptance of Dar's nomination papers for the Senate elections by Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Nawabzada Nawazish Ali.
The petitioner had claimed that the former finance minister has been declared an absconder by the court, and an absconder cannot contest elections in light of the Constitution.
After hearing the arguments of both sides to the case, the LHC bench dismissed the request and allowed Ishaq Dar to contest the Senate elections.
On February 12, a returning officer had rejected Dar's nomination papers for the elections after a petition was moved by Opposition Leader in the Punjab Assembly Mian Mahmoodur Rasheed. The RO rejected his papers on the basis of discrepancy found in his signatures.
LHC grants Ishaq Dar permission to contest Senate elections
In his petition before the RO, Rasheed of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf had submitted that Dar had been facing corruption charges and had also been declared an absconder by an accountability court.
The petitioner had also questioned the signature of Dar in his nomination papers and requested the RO to reject his nomination papers.
Setting aside an order of the returning officer (RO) who had rejected his nomination papers, LHC had given Dar permission to contest elections.
Ishaq Dar challenges rejection of nomination papers for Senate elections
Previously, the Election Commission of Pakistan had also rejected Dar’s nomination papers for being a court absconder in a corruption and money-laundering reference pending against him in an accountability court.
Dar had also submitted his papers for two different Senate election categories with a single bank account. The unattested copies of his CNIC attached with his papers were also a reason for the rejection of his papers.
A special bench of the LHC consisting of Justice Abid Aziz Shaikh and Justice Jawad Hasan on Friday rejected objections raised against the acceptance of Dar's nomination papers for the Senate elections by Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Nawabzada Nawazish Ali.
The petitioner had claimed that the former finance minister has been declared an absconder by the court, and an absconder cannot contest elections in light of the Constitution.
After hearing the arguments of both sides to the case, the LHC bench dismissed the request and allowed Ishaq Dar to contest the Senate elections.
On February 12, a returning officer had rejected Dar's nomination papers for the elections after a petition was moved by Opposition Leader in the Punjab Assembly Mian Mahmoodur Rasheed. The RO rejected his papers on the basis of discrepancy found in his signatures.
LHC grants Ishaq Dar permission to contest Senate elections
In his petition before the RO, Rasheed of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf had submitted that Dar had been facing corruption charges and had also been declared an absconder by an accountability court.
The petitioner had also questioned the signature of Dar in his nomination papers and requested the RO to reject his nomination papers.
Setting aside an order of the returning officer (RO) who had rejected his nomination papers, LHC had given Dar permission to contest elections.
Ishaq Dar challenges rejection of nomination papers for Senate elections
Previously, the Election Commission of Pakistan had also rejected Dar’s nomination papers for being a court absconder in a corruption and money-laundering reference pending against him in an accountability court.
Dar had also submitted his papers for two different Senate election categories with a single bank account. The unattested copies of his CNIC attached with his papers were also a reason for the rejection of his papers.