09 January 2004	Friday	16 Ziqa'ad 1424

LAHORE, Jan 8: An election tribunal of the Lahore High Court dismissed on Thursday eight petitions, challenging election of three MNAs and five MPAs.

Justice Syed Jamshed Ali ordered that the elections of MNAs Khan Ghulam Sarwar of the PML from NA-53 (Rawalpindi), Sahibzada Haji Fazal Karim of the JUP from NA-82 (Faisalabad), and Malik Zaheer Abbas Khokhar of the PPP-Patriots from NA-128 (Lahore) was valid.

Petitioners Engineer Jameel Ahmad, Nasir Akbar Khan and Sardar Kamil Omer, respectively, failed to establish irregularities as to warrant the legislators dismemberment from the National Assembly.

The tribunal also dismissed the plea of PPP's Akhlaq Ahmad Guddu against MPA Chaudhry Muhammad Akram Gujjar (PP-144, Lahore), on the same ground.

The petition against PML's Chaudhry Azhar Nadeem from PP-85 (Toba Tek Singh) was also dismissed. It was filed by Tariq Mahmood. Also dismissed was the petition of Maulana Ghias Muhammad who had sought disqualification of MPA Chaudhry Muhammad Ashraf Kamboh from PP-190 (Okara) and of Malik Qadeer Ahmad Awan against Malik Muhammad Husain.

The petition of Malik Ahmad Ali against Chaudhry Altaf Husain of the PML, who was elected to the Punjab Assembly from PP-262 (Layyah) was also dismissed on the ground that the petitioner could not provide evidence sufficient enough to disqualify the MPA.