Eligibility: ‘File separate petition for disqualification’

Court adjourns hearing of Babar Awan case till Sept 14.

LAHORE:

The Lahore High Court on Friday adjourned till September 14 hearing of arguments on a petition against acceptance of Dr Babar Awan’s nomination for selection to Senate. 

Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial said that the petition was filed to stop Awan from participating in the Senate elections. Now that Awan had been elected as a senator, the petitioner should file another petition seeking his disqualification.

Shahid Jami, the petitioner, told the court that the respondent could be disqualified through an order on the present petition.

The petition alleged that Awan had assets that did not match the amount of income tax he had paid.

He said that Awan was registered as a voter in Rawalpindi, whereas he lived in Islamabad and did not have any property in Rawalpindi.

The petitioner said that Awan was also not eligible for the office of senator because he had concealed his assets from the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

The petitioner said the ECP had unlawfully accepted Awan’s nomination papers ignoring that Awan was a defaulter of agriculture tax, had illegal assets, had a bogus PhD degree and had mocked judiciary in a contempt of court case at the Supreme Court.

He said Awan owned farm land worth of Rs21.5 million and machinery worth R1 million.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 28^th, 2012.