November 29, 2008	Saturday	Ziqa'ad 30, 1429

RAWALPINDI, Nov 28: The Lahore High Court (LHC) Rawalpindi bench here on Friday dismissed an election petition of a local leader of Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) on non-prosecution. The PML-N candidate had challenged the election of a PML-Q candidate.

The court also reserved its decision in the application of former Punjab chief minister seeking re-admission of his election petition against an MNA from Chakwal.

Justice Abdul Shakoor Paracha of the LHC dismissed the petition of Raja Anwar who had challenged the victory of Raja Qamurl Islam of PML-Q from PP-5 Rawalpindi V. The winner has obtained 34252 votes and the petitioner has got 32356 votes. Raja Anwar had maintained that many rejected votes were not counted making result in the favour of Raja Qamar.

The court reserved its decision about whether or not to re-admit the election petition of Chaudhry Pervaiz Ellahi challenging the victory of Sardar Faiz Tamman from NA-61 (Chakwal-II) in the general elections. Earlier, the court had dismissed the petition of former CM on non-prosecution in September this year.

In his appeal for the readmission of the election petition, the former Punjab CM had said he was never intimated by the court about the fixation of the case and as he was settled in Gujrat he himself could not get the information about the case.

Pervaiz Ellahi had challenged the result of the Chakwal constituency, which declared Sardar Tamman elected with 92201 votes. He said he obtained 91769 and total 11,396 votes were rejected but many of them were valid voters and were not considered in the final counting.

Meanwhile Rawalpindi lawyers observed complete boycott of court proceedings both at high and district level as they gathered at Benazir Bhutto Air Port to welcome the deposed chief justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry on his arrival from the US.

A large number of lawyers gathered at the district courts early in the morning and left for the airport at about 7:17 am. They welcomed the CJ and chanted anti government decision and demanded immediate restoration of all removed judges. The lawyers were also joined by the members of civil society.