Election criteria: Court stays proceedings against MNA

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Thursday stayed the proceedings of the election commission against PML-N MNA Javed Latif. Latif had submitted a petition that Muhammad Afzal, a voter from his constituency NA-133 in Sheikhupura district, had moved an application to the ECP seeking Latif’s disqualification on the ground that he had a fake university degree. Latif said the court had established that his degree was genuine. He added that under Article 218 of the Constitution, the ECP could not hold such proceedings after the election. He said his opponents were moving frivolous applications to tarnish his image. He requested the court to suspend the ECP’s notice. After hearing the arguments, the court restrained the ECP from holding proceedings against the MNA. The court will resume the hearing in two weeks.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 25^th, 2014.