LAHORE, Aug 31: The Lahore High Court on Tuesday observed that if a recall motion against former Data Ganj Bakhsh Town Nazim Khwaja Hassan was voted upon after his resignation, it would demonstrate malafide intentions on the part of the authorities concerned.

The observation came during the hearing of a writ petition filed by Khwaja Hassaan who sought to stay the proceedings on a second recall motion against him on the plea that the move was aimed at disqualifying him from local council elections for four years.

The petitioner's counsel, Barrister Mohammad Ahmad Qayyum, submitted that the government had a malicious intention against Mr Hassaan while disqualifying him under section 134 of the Punjab Local Government Ordinance even after he had resigned from the office on Aug 11.

He submitted that the second recall motion in a span of one year also spoke of malafide intention on the part of those in power. With the chief minister accepting the resignation of the petitioner, the voting on the second recall motion (set for Aug 31) was hardly warranted.

The court observed that the petitioner's only concern was to save himself from disqualification, and that an appropriate order would be passed in this regard.

The petitioner submitted that the voting on the first recall motion on Aug 13 and subsequent notification be declared unlawful because he had tendered resignation two days before the proceedings.