GUJRAT: Local politicians of Mandi Bahauddin may have to run for by-elections in NA-108 following Lahore High Court Election Tribunal’s verdict declaring MNA Ijaz Ahmed Chaudhry disqualified.

Senior PML-N leader Mumtaz Ahmed Tarrar, runner-up in NA-108, had sought disqualification of Chaudhry on multiple grounds of submitting a fake graduation degree and concealing facts while filing nomination papers.

Justice Kazim Ali Malik of the election tribunal had on Friday declared Chaudhry disqualified. He had joined the PML-N after being elected as an independent candidate. A detailed judgement was yet to be issued.

The petitioner had alleged the respondent had never gone to the Philippines but had submitted a graduation degree from that country’s educational institution.

He also claimed the respondent and two of his brothers -- Imtiaz Ahmed, a former district naib nazim and a former tehsil nazim of Mandi Bahauddin, and Ishfaq Ahmed -- had got seven-marla plots each allotted in a low-income housing scheme in 1989 but the matter had been concealed.

The Election Commission of Pakistan is yet to declare NA-108 void to issue a by-election schedule. But local politicos have started consultation over contesting the likely polls, as nobody in Mandi Bahauddin, particularly in the constituency, had expected a speedy trial and verdict in the case.

The petitioner involving Chaudhry’s brothers in the case is being termed a smart move to root the entire family out of politics.

However, locals await the detailed judgement to find out if the matter of plots had been included as a ground for the MNA’s disqualification.

A former union council nazim told Dawn Imtiaz Ahmed, a former tehsil nazim, was considered the backbone of his brother’s politics in the constituency and was a potential candidate in case of by-elections that was why the detailed judgement was awaited.

Meanwhile, Chaudhry announced he would challenge the election tribunal’s decision in the Supreme Court.