June 25, 2008	Wednesday	Jamadi-us-Sani 20, 1429

LAHORE, June 24: The Supreme Court returned a petition Tuesday challenging the verdict of a Lahore High Court (LHC) full bench disqualifying Pakistan Muslim League-N leader Nawaz Sharif from contesting by-elections.

The Supreme Court office said the petition did not carry the certified copy of LHC orders. The petition filed by Akram Sheikh, on behalf of Mahr Zaffar Iqbal, proposer of Mr Sharif, will be filed on Tuesday (today). Mr Sheikh said he had gone to the registrar and another court official but the office did not provide him with the orders. The bench had ordered an official to provide Mr Sheikh the required copies.

Mr Sheikh told Dawn the LHC bench had not heard the parties before handing down the verdict. He said his client was a “necessary party” to the proceedings conducted ex-parte.

The LHC bench, consisting of justices Fazl-i-Miran Chohan, Hasnat Ahmad and Ahsan Bhoon, rejected applications for becoming the party. The bench, however, could not proceed further because PML-N Lawyers’ Forum President Khwaja Mahmood had objected to the two bench members.

His objections led to the formation of another bench, consisting of justices Abdul Shakoor Piracha, M Bilal Khan and Syed Shabbar Raza Rizvi, which concluded and decided the plea.