December 13, 2007	Thursday	Zilhaj 2, 1428

RAWALPINDI, Dec 12: An election tribunal here on Wednesday dismissed the objections raised by an independent candidate from NA-48 against the candidates of Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) and that of Q League allowing them to contest polls on January 8.

Former PML-Q senator Azeem Chaudhry now contesting as an independent candidate had filed an appeal against the candidature of Q League’s Rizwan Sadiq and MMA’s Mian Aslam from NA-48 Islamabad-I.

s The appellant had objected the nomination of PML-Q candidate on the grounds that he is a public servant. He said Mr Sadiq had been Zakat Council chairman since June 1, 2007 and re-appointed on the same post in November. The tribunal rejected the appeal saying no gazette notification had been issued about his re- appointment.

In another petition Mr Chaudhry had raised four objection against the nomination of Mian Aslam. The tribunal on its first hearing on Monday dismissed two objections and rejected the other two on Wednesday.

The tribunal rejected the appellant’s plea that Mian Aslam had concealed a poultry farm while declaring his assets. Mian Aslam told the tribunal he had parted ways with Sadiq Brothers and therefore did not mention the firm in his declared assets.

The appellant had also contended that two FIRs had been registered against the respondent — one with the Secretariat police station in 2002 and the other with the Aabpara police station in 2005 — for creating law and order.

The respondent said he did not know about the FIRs and he was never arrested in any case. The tribunal observed that mere registration of FIR did not amount to a trail and dismissed the appeal allowing the MMA candidate to contest elections. Earlier an election tribunal on Tuesday allowed an aspirant to contest polls from NA-54 Rawalpindi-III.

Asghar Ali Mubarik had filed an appeal before the election tribunal consisting of Justice Abdul Shakoor Paracha and Justice Syed Sajjad Hussain Shah against the rejection of his nomination papers by a returning officer on the ground that the names of his seconder and proposer were enlisted in two National Assembly constituencies, NA-54 and NA-55.