QUETTA: A division bench of the Balochistan High Court (BHC) has reserved judgement on 41 applications filed by the candidates against their disqualification by the appellate election tribunal.

The division bench, comprising Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan and Justice Nazeer Ahmed Langove, reserved its decision after hearing the petitions on Saturday.

The applications against the appellate election tribunal’s decision were filed by Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf provincial president Sardar Yar Muhammad Rind, Nawab Aali Bugti, PPP Balochistan’s president Mir Ali Madad Jattak, former senator Mir Mohabat Khan Marri and Muttahida the Majlis-i-Amal’s Maulana Hanif, Yasmin Lehri of National Party, PPP’s Babu Amin Umrani, Behram Khan Achakzai of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl and many others.

Nawab Aali Bugti, grandson of the late Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti, appeared before the court with Advocates Behlul Kasi and Nusrat Baloch. His opponent Mir Sarfaraz Bugti, who had filed the application against Nawab Bugti’s nomination, was also present.

The court asked Sarfaraz Bugti for his stance over Nawab Bugti’s disqualification from taking part in elections. After hearing the arguments from both sides, the court reserved its judgement. The returning officer in Dera Bugti had rejected Nawab Bugti’s nomination papers for PB-10 Dera Bugti saying his opponents had alleged that the candidate had failed to disclose his assets.

Hearing the disqualification petition of former senator Mir Mohabat Khan Marri, the court said that Mr Marri had been disqualified due to his fake degree.

In a separate hearing on a case pertaining to the acceptance of the nomination papers of former senator Sanaullah Baloch, his lawyer Saleem Lashari asked the bench for more time. The court accepted his application and adjourned the hearing till July 2.

Published in Dawn, July 1st, 2018