June 01, 2008	Sunday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 26, 1429

LAHORE, May 31: Ashtar Ausaf, the counsel for PML-N leaders Nawaz Sharif and Shahbaz Sharif, told reporters at a press conference here on Saturday that the Election Commission (EC) had no choice but to accept the Sharif’s nomination papers under the rules stated by the Representation of People's Act 1976.

Commenting on the split verdict delivered earlier on Saturday by two tribunal justices Hafiz Tariq Naseem and Muhammed Akram Qureshi, Ausaf said if any appeals against nominations were not decided within the timeframe laid down for the purpose, the nominations would be deemed accepted. He insisted: "There is no disqualification as has been alleged. As far as we are concerned, everything is hunky dory." He said the verdict in favour of the Sharif brothers' nominations, as laid down by Justice Naseem, was a detailed and comprehensive nine-page document, while the verdict that went against them was accompanied by no such documentation.

He said there was no second appeal that could now be lodged by the Chief Election Commissioner or any other authority, but added: "The only remedy left for a person to challenge the candidature by way of an election petition is permissible by article 225 of the Constitution and is to be filed under section 57 of the Representation of People's Act 1976.