ISLAMABAD, Sept 21: The Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) has submitted a reference to the chief election commissioner (CEC) asking him to unseat Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi from the National Assembly and Punjab assembly respectively, for being “loan defaulters and presenting wrong declarations to returning officers”.

The reference filed by PML-N information secretary Siddiqul Farooq states that Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi had acquired loans of Rs208 million from the Bankers Equity Limited and Rs38 million from the National Bank of Pakistan in the name of Punjab Sugar Mills. Later, they got the loans written off, says the reference, a copy of which was made available to Dawn.

It also states that the government has already placed the record of the National Bank before the National Assembly whereas the process regarding the Bankers Equity loan is in progress.

The CEC has been informed that both the “defaulters” before contesting the October elections “filed declarations on oath before the election officers and deliberately concealed the fact that they were defaulters and kept the Election Commission in dark in respect of the written-off loans”.

It states that “the above-mentioned gentlemen are wilful defaulters and contested the elections from Gujrat, Rahim Yar Khan and Bhakkar in violation of the provisions of Article 7(q) of the Legal Framework Order and 12(2) of the Representation of People’s Act 1976 as amended up to 2000”.

Through the reference, the CEC has been informed that a complaint pertaining to the above-mentioned loan and wilful default is already pending before the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and “the inquiry is in the hands of the people who are totally under influence and command of these gentlemen”.

It states that “these gentlemen are very influential”. By not paying the loans, “they have caused a heavy loss to the national exchequer and plundered national wealth”.

The reference prays that the matter may be investigated and “in order to prove impartiality and transparency of your office, declare Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi as wilful defaulters and bring them to book and punish them accordingly”.

Speaking to Dawn on Sunday, Siddiqul Farooq said similar references would also be filed by the party MNAs and MPAs before the speakers of the National and provincial assemblies.

Asked why the PML-N did not take any action against Chaudhry brothers as these loans were written off in the tenure of Nawaz Sharif, he said the present reference had been filed under the Conduct of General Elections Order 2002, which had been introduced by the present military government itself. The then opposition should have filed a reference in this regard and the election commission should have taken action against the defaulters, he argued.

Asked why the reference had been filed under the LFO when the PML-N did not accept the law, Mr Farooq said the party did not recognize Gen Pervez Musharraf as president, but it contested the elections held under his supervision.