LAHORE, Jan 18: An election tribunal of the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Tuesday dismissed an election petition seeking disqualification of PML-Q MNA Syed Faisal Saleh Hayat.

Former federal minister Begum Syeda Abida Husain, who lost the Feb 18, 2008, general elections to Hayat at NA-69, Jhang-III, alleged Hayat had rigged polls to get result in his favour. She also alleged that he harassed her supporters on the polling day and the polling staff to secure his victory.

She pointed out that Hayat was a bank defaulter and was not eligible to contest elections.

Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed dismissed the petition, observing that the petitioner had failed to establish allegations levelled against the respondent MNA. DOUBLE SHAH:

A division bench of the LHC on Tuesday sought a reply from the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) director-general on a petition filed by Syed Sibtul Hasan Gilani, alias Double Shah, seeking directions for the bureau to decide his application for reduction of surety bonds from Rs3 billion to Rs100 million to finalise his plea-bargaining.

The petitioner stated that NAB had arrested him on April 28, 2007, on allegations of cheating public at large and depriving them of their amounts received. The petitioner said he had moved an application in 2009 for plea bargaining which was conditionally accepted by NAB and the same was presented in an accountability court for approval but the court did not decide the matter despite lapse of 11 months. He said later, on LHC orders, the case was transferred to another accountability court which approved the plea-bargaining on condition that the petitioner would submit a demand note favouring NAB chairman, personal guarantee, property surety bonds and post-dated cheques for Rs3 billion.

The petitioner said he fulfilled all conditions except property surety bonds of worth Rs3 billion as due to prolonged detention he was not in a position to arrange guarantee of land property.

He further said he had moved an application to NAB chairman for reduction of surety from Rs3 billion to Rs100 million but no decision had been taken on it till now, causing a delay in finalisation of his plea-bargaining.

The petitioner pointed out that the condition was imposed in violation of Article 3, 4 and 9 of the Constitution and asked the court to direct NAB authorities to decide his application for reduction of surety.

After hearing arguments, Justice Sheikh Ahmad Farooq and Justice Muhammad Yawar Ali directed the NAB director-general to file a reply within two weeks.