March, 17 2005	Thursday	06 Safar 1426

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LAHORE, March 16: An election tribunal of the Lahore High Court on Tuesday adjourned till April 12 the hearing of a petition challenging the election of Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on the request of his counsel that he wanted more time to submit parawise comments. A subordinate of counsel Wasim Sajjad submitted before the tribunal, headed by Justice Syed Zahid Husain, that the comment was ready but the prime minister had yet to sign it because of his official visit abroad. The tribunal, however, warned the defence counsel that the comment must be filed before the next date of hearing as he had already taken enough time.

The petition was moved by Engineer Jameel Ahmad Malik, a leader of the Communist Party of Pakistan, who contested as an independent candidate and lost to the prime minister the byelection to a National Assembly seat from Attock (NA-59) in August last year. The petitioner submitted that he had provided to the prime minister’s counsel a copy of the video cassette which he had submitted to substantiate his allegations. The petitioner also produced a few photographs before the tribunal to support his contention that Mr Shaukat Aziz had flouted the election laws on the display of hoarding.

Mr Aziz, the petitioner alleged, had manipulated the bypolls by misusing his status as the federal minister. His election expenses were borne out by the public exchequer and a team of federal and provincial ministers. District Nazim and other local government functionaries carried out his electioneering, he alleged.

He also alleged that Mr Aziz did not qualify to be elected to the National Assembly under article 63(C) of the constitution because he was not a Pakistani citizen, possessed an American passport and operated accounts in the US banks in Washington and New York. The 743-page petition is accompanied with photographs and other documentary evidence covering. He submitted that the election expenses submitted to the Election Commission of Pakistan concealed expenditure on some 55 public meetings and the cost of 55 huge hoardings, banners and streamers.

He also alleged that laws provided for an election expense of Rs1.5 million, but the prime minister had spent about Rs28.4 million during his campaign. He requested the disqualification of the prime minister.