Disqualification sought: Awan told to submit arguments on Feb 1

Petitioner says Awan is dishonest and a defaulter.

LAHORE:

The Lahore High Court on Friday asked Senator Babar Awan’s counsel to submit his final arguments on February 1 on a petition seeking his disqualification.

Advocate Shahid Jami had moved the petition alleging that Awan had accumulated assets that did not match the amount of income tax he had paid.

He also submitted that the respondent had an Islambad permanent address on his national identity card but had contested elections from the Punjab. He has requested the court to disqualify Dr Awan.

The petitioner contented that Awan was not eligible for the office of Senator because he had concealed his assets from the Election Commission. He said the ECP had “unlawfully” accepted Awan’s nomination papers by ignoring that he was a defaulter of agriculture tax, had accumulated illegal assets, had a bogus PhD degree and had mocked the judiciary.

The petitioner said Awan had not paid agriculture income tax despite holding agricultural land worth Rs21.5 million and agriculture equipment of Rs1 million.

He said the Supreme Court had suspended Awan’s licence for ridiculing the court. Awan is registered as a voter in Rawalpindi whereas he resides in Islamabad and has no property in Rawalpindi, said the petitioner.

MNA’s counsel asked to appear on Feb 8

The Lahore High Court on Friday summoned the counsel of MNA Chaudhry Wajahat Hussain for cross-examination on a petition seeking the MNA’s disqualification. The runner up candidate from NA-104 (Gujrat), Nawabzada Ghazanfar Gill, has moved the petition against Hussain. He alleges that Hussain had rigged the elections.
He requested the court to disqualify Wajahat Hussain from assembly membership because he did not meet the criteria laid down in Articles 62 and 63 of the constitution. Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial directed the MNA’s counsel to appear before the court on February 8.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 19^th, 2013.