Eight candidates who were earlier disqualified for being agricultural income tax defaulters were allowed to contest elections. DESIGN: EMA ANIS
A full bench of the Lahore High Court headed by Justice Ijazul Ahsan issued a notice to the State Bank and sought details of loans allegedly written off in favour of Pakistan Muslim League- Quaid candidate Chaudhry Wajahat Hussain.
On April 20, Hussain had claimed that he had paid back all bank loans. An election tribunal had rejected his nomination papers challenged by his political rival from the constituency, Ghazanfar Gull. Hussain had requested the bench to declare the tribunal’s judgement void. He was provisionally allowed to contest elections.
On Wednesday, Gull told the court that Hussain had had Rs240 million loans written off and had not mentioned these in his nomination papers.
He said Hussain had also not declared all his assets. Gull requested the court to restrain Hussain from contesting elections.
The bench adjourned further hearing till April 26.
Former advisor to the prime minister Ghulam Murtaza Satti was allowed by the bench to contest elections from NA-50.Satti submitted that he had been serving as an advisor but had left charge over two years ago. He said the returning officer had rejected his nomination papers on the grounds of serving in a government office without verifying the facts and documents.
He said he was not a government employee and had never received a salary or perks from the state for his services as an advisor. He requested the court to dismiss the returning officer’s orders and allow him to contest elections.
The bench, after recording arguments and examining documents, allowed Satti to contest elections.
Eight candidates who were earlier disqualified for being agricultural income tax defaulters were allowed to contest elections. The bench found various ambiguities in the records and procedure of tax recovery by the Board of Revenue and allowed the petitioners to contest the elections.
The bench allowed Sajid Yousaf from PP-112, Niaz Ahmad and Tanvir Ahmad from NA-104, PP-108, PP-109, Mukhtar Ahmad from PP-135, Zubair Ahmad and Nadeem Gohar from PP-108, Muhammad Akhtar Tarar from NA-102 and Nadeem Sarwar from PP-31 to contest elections.
The bench, however, deferred judgement on the petition of former federal minister Rana Farooq for being an income tax defaulter.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 25th, 2013.
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His family owns secret assets in Olive Grove Assets Ltd, Off-shore tax heaven in British Virgin Island: http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2013/apr/04/offshore-secrets Any action by independent judiciary??