June 22, 2008	Sunday	Jamadi-us-Sani 17, 1429

LAHORE, June 21: A judge of the three-member bench of the Lahore High Court on Saturday refused to hear petitions against the candidature of PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif and brother Shahbaz Sharif.

The chief justice formed a new bench comprising Justice Abdul Shakoor Piracha, Justice M. Bilal Khan and Justice Syed Shabbar Raza Rizvi.

Justice Hasnat Ahmad Khan quit after PML-N Lawyers Forum president Khwaja Asif Mahmood objected to his presence along with that of Justice Fazl-i-Miran Chohan on the bench.

He said one of the judges had worked as an associate of Dr Khalid Ranjha and the other was related to PML-Q chief Chaudhry Shujaat Husain.

Though Justice Chohan asked Mr Mahmood not to interrupt the proceedings because he was not a party to the proceedings, Justice Hasnat said he would also not like to proceed on the matter further.

Justice Hasnat had worked with Dr Ranjha, who was appointed as a judge during the government of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto but was not confirmed as a judge when Nawaz Sharif became the prime minister.The bench had finished hearing arguments by the petitioner’s counsel against the decision of the chief election commissioner to allow him to run for the election.

Deputy attorney-general Raja Abdur Rehman, appeared on behalf of attorney-general Malik Mohammad Qayyum, said the notice was issued in a matter not listed in the petition.

On Friday, the bench had summoned the AG after Mr Kazim argued that section 14 (6), under which the Election Commission allowed Shahbaz Sharif to contest the election, was in conflict with the Constitution.Mr Kazim said it was a must that the objections raised to the candidature of a candidate be decided through a judicial verdict.

Besides, he argued, a section could not perform a function of a court of law and thus needed to be struck down.

Resuming the hearing after half an hour, the bench refused to take up the amended petition instantly.

Justice Chohan said the proper procedure, including filing of an application and issuing notice to the parties concerned, should be followed for amending the petition.