Gymkhana elections: Polls to go ahead as scheduled

LHC rejects outgoing chairman’s plea for stay order until appeal decided.

LAHORE:

Justice Ijazul Ahsan on Monday rejected a request for a stay order on elections at the Lahore Gymkhana and directed the club chairman to go ahead with the polls as scheduled.

However, the judge made the result of the elections subject to the court’s decision.

Ziaur Rehman, the outgoing chairman, had filed an appeal in the Lahore High Court against a civil court’s order. He submitted that Gymkhana rules did not allow anyone to contest the elections more than thrice, but two candidates  Mian Misbahur Rehman and Khawaja Imran Nazir – were seeking to run for a fourth time.

The appellant said the club administration had rejected their nomination papers. The candidates challenged the decision before the Gymkhana election commission. The election commission upheld the decision.

The candidates then moved a civil court, which allowed them to take part in the elections.

Ziaur Rehman argued that the lower court’s order was illegal and violated the club’s rules. He asked the court to overturn the lower court’s decision and to suspend the polls until the appeal is decided.

The judge turned down the plea for postponement of the polls. The next hearing will be held on a date to be decided by the registrar’s office.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 25^th, 2012.