BAHAWALPUR, Feb 8: A three-member election tribunal bench of the Lahore High Court (principal seat) admitted on Friday a writ petition of Makhdoom Syed Ali Hassan Gilani, whose nomination papers from NA-183 (Bahawalpur-I) were rejected by the returning officer.

According to Gilani’s counsel Mumtaz Husain Bazmi, the writ has been filed under the instructions of the Supreme Court of Pakistan. According to him, the tribunal, headed by senior member Justice Muhammad Bilal and comprising Justice Shamim Haider and Justice Hasnat Ahmad, admitted the writ petition and fixed Monday for its hearing and a decision.

Mr Bazmi told Dawn on telephone from Lahore that the respondents’ counsel also had been served with notices to appear before the tribunal on Monday.

The RO had rejected the petitioner’s nomination papers after Ahmadpur East TMA claimed that Ali Gilani was a defaulter of over Rs300,000.