Seeking reinstatement: Petition of PTI tehsil council candidate dismissed

PESHAWAR:

The Peshawar High Court dismissed a petition filed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s tehsil council candidate who was seeking reinstatement after his disqualification announced by the Election Commission of Pakistan.

A divisional bench comprising Justice Musarat Hilali and Justice Muhammad Younis Thaheem dismissed the petition of Israr Khan of Bannu district.

Israr was elected tehsil councillor during the May 30 local government polls from Behan Khel ward. Subsequently, Akbar Khan, a voter and Farooq, a runner-up candidate filed a case in the ECP stating that Israr was a government schoolteacher.

In his application before the ECP, Farooq had stated Israr quit his job on September 13, 2014. However, his resignation was accepted on April 13, 2015.

“The election rules state any government official who wants to contest elections should resign from his/her post six months prior to the elections,” Farooq’s complaint read. After reviewing the application, the ECP disqualified Israr and revoked his victory notification.

In his petition before the PHC, Israr said he had tendered his resignation on September 13, 2014 and his name was removed from the school register only three days later. He requested the court to reinstate him as the tehsil council member.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 29^th, 2015.