May 27, 2008	Tuesday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 21, 1429

LAHORE, May 26: Pakistan Muslim League-Q (PML-Q) candidate Mian Ikhlaq Guddu withdrew his nomination papers on Monday for by-poll from NA-123 — a constituency where from PML-N patron Mian Nawaz Sharif is also a candidate.

Mr Guddu’s appeal against the candidature of Mr Sharif is pending before an election tribunal of the Lahore High Court which will be heard on Tuesday (today).

Mr Guddu says in his petition Mr Sharif is ineligible to contest the election because of his convictions in a hijacking case and a reference for corrupt practices. He adds Attock Fort Accountability Court has disqualified Mr Sharif from holding any office for 21 years.

Besides, he said, Mr Sharif was not an Ameen or a righteous man and is involved in a case of bank default pending before a court.

Mr Sharif’s counsel Ashtar Ausaf says Mr Guddu’s appeal will not be heard after his withdrawal from poll race. Guddu’s withdrawal leaves some 20 candidates in the NA-123 race, including PPP’s Azizur Rehman Chan. Going by PPP’s earlier stand that it would not field a candidate against Nawaz Sharif, Chan may withdraw.

OTHER CASES: Nawaz and his brother Shahbaz Sharif, however, face a string of petitions against their candidatures in different courts.

One appeal against Nawaz’s candidature from NA-52 in Rawalpindi is pending before a tribunal consisting of Justice Najamuz Zaman and Justice Tariq Shamim and has been admitted for regular hearing.

The appeal, filed by Muhammad Nasir Raja, PML-Q candidate for NA-52, will be taken up for hearing on Wednesday (May 28).

Another election tribunal has also admitted for regular hearing various appeals against the candidatures of Nawaz and Shahbaz.

The tribunal, consisting of justices Hafiz Tariq Nasim and Akram Qureshi, issued notices for May 30 on an appeal against the candidature of Nawaz for NA-52, Rawalpindi. Syed Naeem Shahzad, a candidate for the same constituency, has filed the petition. Another tribunal issued notices on two petitions filed by Shahid Orakzai challenging the candidature of Shahbaz for PP-154 and 141, Lahore. An appellant Mehboob Elahi did not press his appeal against the candidature of Shahbaz for PP-10, Rawalpindi. The tribunal disposed of the appeal.

A tribunal adjourned two appeals against the candidature of Shahbaz for PP-124, Sialkot and PP-48, Bhakkar, after the appellant’s counsel sought time to place some documents on the record. Zulfiqar Ali and Khurram Shah filed the appeals. A tribunal will take up a plea on May 30 against the candidature of Mian Mujtaba Shuja Rehman, a PML-N candidate contesting elections from PP 141, Lahore.