LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Tuesday issued notices to the election commission and the provincial government on a petition challenging eligibility of Khwaja Ahmad Hassaan as a candidate for Lahore’s mayor.

A citizen, Waqas Aslam, filed the petition through Advocate Sheraz Zaka stating Hassaan had been functioning as chairman of the Punjab Institute of Cardiology, Lahore Development Authority, Lahore Transport Company and Orange Line Steering Committee.

The lawyer told the court that Hassaan, under the election laws, could not contest the election of mayor before two years of his resignations from the government offices.

He asked the court to disqualify Hassaan as chairman-elect from UC-107 and stop him from contesting the mayor’s election.

Justice Atir Mahmood heard the arguments and issued notices to the respondents for Sept 5.

JUDGEMENT RESERVED: The Lahore High Court chief justice on Tuesday reserved judgement on the maintainability of a petition filed by Jamatud Dawa chief Hafiz Muhammad Saeed requesting the court to order the federal government to take up the Kashmir issue at the international level.

The chief justice reserved the verdict after Advocate A.K. Dogar concluded his arguments on the point that the court had the jurisdiction to pass an appropriate direction to the government as sought in the petition.

In his arguments, he said the United Nations passed resolutions in 1948 to decide the fate of India-held Kashmir as per the will of the Kashmiris by holding a referendum.

He said Jawaharlal Nehru had taken Kashmir dispute to the UN Security Council and announced that if Kashmiris wanted to go with Pakistan then India would not enter its army in Kashmir. However, he said, the Indian government later betrayed its undertaking.

Citing different judgements of the high court, Advocate Dogar said if an issue involved public interest the court could interfere in political and foreign issues. He said the Indian army had been killing innocent people in Kashmir and the Pakistan government was doing nothing except issuing statements.

He pleaded that the court should issue instructions to the government to enhance pressure on the UN to get its resolution implemented to resolve the Kashmir issue.

Published in Dawn, August 24th, 2016