LAHORE, Oct 25: The Chief Justice of Lahore High Court, Justice Iftikhar Hussain Chaudhry, on Friday vacated the stay order against the holding of the elections to the reserved seats for women and minorities for the National Assembly and the Punjab Assembly, observing that the court wanted the electoral process to go on.
Besides, the CJ allowed the Election Commission to issue provisional notifications of the election of Riffat Javed Kahlon (NA-117), Rai Aslam Kharal (NA-143) and Khizer Ilyas Virk (PP-135) with the observation that investigations into the allegations of winning the polls through rigging and irregularities would continue. Their notifications would be confirmed or withdrawn in the light of the findings of the investigations.
The CJ ordered that notification of Humayun Akhtar Khan as successful candidate from NA-125 would be issued after the Election Commission would have heard the parties — Humayun Akhtar and Akram Zaki — on Saturday and taken a decision in respect of the application filed by the latter for a recount of ballots.
The CJ issued the orders while disposing of writ petitions of the PML-Q and its leader Humayun Akhtar Khan, ruling out the objection that the court had no jurisdiction in the matter.
All the four candidates awaiting the election notification belong to the PML-Q.
The secretary of the Election Commission, who flew in here from Islamabad, submitted that the EC had no objection to the issuance of the notifications of the successful candidates.
Deputy Attorney-General Dr Danashwar Malik submitted that the government did not agree with the EC orders issued without giving any reasons.
