MUZAFFARGARH: Disqualified MNA Sultan Mahmood Hinjra of PML-N is likely to move the Supreme Court of Pakistan against the decision of Bahawalpur election tribunal.

Reports said after hearing the news of his disqualification on Friday, Hinjra canceled his engagements and left for Lahore to meet the party leadership.

He told Dawn that his party had advised him to move the Supreme Court against the decision of the election tribunal. He said he would file an appeal on Monday (today) to get a stay.

Hinjra said his lawyer told him that 99 per cent of tribunal verdicts were stayed by the Supreme Court.

Loser candidate Ghulam Mustafa Khar had filed a plea with the election tribunal that Hinjra had concealed his assets and his property including a 13 marla plot which he had got from the government.

Furthermore, the anti-corruption establishment had in 2000 registered a case against Hinjra for an alleged state land fraud and embezzlement of public money on the petition of a citizen Chaudhry Aslam while Hinjra never appeared before the anti-corruption court.

On these grounds, Khar got Hinjra disqualified from NA-176 while the election tribunal invoked article 62 and 63 in the verdict.

Sultan Hinjra had made it to the national assembly in 2013 for the first time. Earlier, he was elected as an MPA in 1985, 88, 90, and 1997. He could not contest election in 2003 and 2008 because of BA degree bar and he fielded his nephew Qasim Yar Hinjra on PML-Q ticket who won the election.

On the other hand, the Khar camp seems to be upbeat that Hinjra has a weak case to defend in the Supreme Court, so they are preparing for a possible by-election.

Khar had contested the 2013 election on PML-Functional platform after failing to secure ticket from PPP and PML-N.

Sources say this time Mustafa Khar would again try to get PPP ticket as he is not happy with Pir Sahib Pagara who did not help him in the case of his son Bilal Khar. But he would face opposition from Dr Shabbir Qureshi, the son of former MNA late Mohsin Qureshi, and Senator Khalida Mohsin Qureshi.

Dr Shabbir Qureshi claimed that now PPP would field him because last time the NA ticket was awarded to Mian Ghulam Abbas Qurrshi’s son Amjad Abbas.

MNA Jamshed Dasti is also interested in fielding his candidate for NA-176. Talking to Dawn, Dasti said: “It is an important chance for me to show my strength against the Khars and Hinjras.”

Published in Dawn, July 21st, 2014