‘Ineligible’: PML-N candidate challenged

The petitioner said Hassaan’s had already held public office as he had been associated with the LDA

LAHORE:

The candidature of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N’s) Khwaja Ahmad Hassaan for the chairmanship of Union Council-107 was challenged on Saturday at Lahore High Court (LHC).

Constituent Aziz Masood, the petitioner, rapped the returning officer (RO) for accepting Hassaan’s nomination papers. Masood said he had aired his reservations regarding Hassaan’s candidature before the RO in vain as he had overruled his objection and allowed him to contest the elections.

The petitioner said Hassaan’s had already held public office as he had been associated with the Lahore Development Authority. He said he had also served as a director of the Lahore Waste Management Company (LWMC). Masood said Section 27 of the Local Government Act 2013 proscribed a person in the service of a statutory body controlled by the government from contesting the polls. He said the RO had passed an erroneous order that ought to be revoked.

It is pertinent to mention that Hassaan is set to be elected unopposed as his opposing candidate has withdrawn his nomination papers.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 20^th, 2015.