The bench deferred the case after the petitioner’s counsel confirmed that the Musharraf-led All Pakistan Muslim League had decided to boycott the general elections on May 11. PHOTO: REUTERS/FILE
A full bench of the Lahore High Court on Monday deferred indefinitely a petition moved by former president and army chief Pervez Musharraf challenging a tribunal’s decision to disqualify him from the elections at NA-139, Kasur.
The bench deferred the case after the petitioner’s counsel confirmed that the Musharraf-led All Pakistan Muslim League had decided to boycott the general elections on May 11. “The court will first hear the cases of those candidates who are participating in the elections,” the bench observed.
Earlier, Musharraf’s counsel Advocate Salman Safdar argued that the tribunal had exceeded its powers in disqualifying the former military ruler from contesting the elections at NA-139. An election tribunal does not have the authority to disqualify a candidate on the basis of allegations of subverting the Constitution, he said.
The judges asked why Musharraf had filed the petition against disqualification when his party had announced a boycott of the elections. Safdar said that his client wanted to clear the allegations against him. The judges said that the cases involving active candidates were more urgent and would be decided first. Musharraf submitted in his petition that the tribunal had disqualified him on the grounds that he did not meet the requirements for parliamentarians stated in Article 62 and 63 of the Constitution, even though he had not been convicted of any crime by a court of law.
APML registration
In another case, the LHC has been asked to instruct the Election Commission to cancel the registration of the APML. The petitioner, Advocate Afaq Ahmad, argues that only a person who meets the requirements stated in Articles 62 and 63 can form or lead a political party.
LHC allows former minister to contest elections
A full bench of the Lahore High Court on Monday accepted a petition by former minister Rana Farooq Saeed and allowed him to contest the elections from NA-79, Faisalabad.
The tribunal suspended the verdict of a tribunal disqualifying him on the ground of tax default and concealment of assets.
The counsel for Rana Farooq told the bench that the allegations of tax default and concealment of assets against his client were not true. He said his client had paid the due tax and produced documents in the court.
Citing a decision of the same bench, the counsel said that it had already allowed former prime minister Raja Pervez Ashraf to contest the elections as allegations against him had not been proved.
He submitted the allegations against Rana Farooq had also not been proved, therefore, he should be allowed to contest the elections.
After recording arguments and reviewing the record, the bench allowed Farooq to contest the elections from NA-79.
Earlier, the bench had provisionally allowed him to contest the elections.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 7th, 2013.
COMMENTS (2)
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This LHC is the court of Nawaz Sharif and the logic they given is absurd and stupid . It is not their problem if they boycott or not ; the question is merit and there is no merit but just anger and revenge on the part of Adlia which is badlia now a days.
Let the sky fall, when it crumbles
We will stand tall
And face it all together
At sky fall.........
Cases against Musharraf will die on it's own!