CHAKWAL: After knocking on the doors of an appellate election tribunal and then the Lahore High Court (LHC), Chakwal’s beleaguered politician Sardar Ghulam Abbas and his nephew Sardar Aftab Akbar Khan’s appeals are going to be taken up by the Supreme Court (SC) today (Monday).

Mr Abbas and Mr Akbar filed separate appeals before the apex court on Friday. Their appeals were admitted by the SC on Saturday.

According to a supplementary cause list issued on Saturday, a division bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar would hear the appeals of both the politicians. Justice Ejazul Ahsan is the second member of the bench.

Mr Abbas would be represented by senior advocate Kamran Murtaza, who is vice chairman of Pakistan Bar Council, while Mr Akbar would be represented by Advocate Tanveer Iqbal.

Advocate Qazi Umar Ahmed and Advocate Malik Zafran Zulfi of Chakwal Bar Association filed objections against the nomination papers of both politicians before the returning officer of NA-64 (Chakwal-I) in which they maintained that both politicians had concealed some of their assets and provided incomplete information about their disclosed assets. They further said that despite serving on important public offices, both politicians did not have a national tax number. However, their objections were rejected by the RO.

Both lawyers then filed an appeal before an appellate election tribunal at the LHC Rawalpindi seat. On July 27, Justice Ibadur Rehman Lodhi rejected the nomination papers of both politicians. Afterward Ghulam Abbas and Sardar Aftab Akbar filed a writ petition before the LHC against the appellate bench’s order.

On July 5, the LHC also dismissed their petitions on the ground of tax evasion and upheld the order announced by Justice Lodhi. The fate of both politicians would be decided today by the apex court.

Addressing a ceremony held in connection with the opening of an election office of Mr Akbar, who is also contesting from PP-23 (Chakwal-III) on Sunday, Sardar Ghulam Abbas admitted that the last few days were the toughest days of his life.

“I started my political career in 1985. Since then I never misused public fund or my position,” he said.

“The SC is hearing my appeal on Monday. If an adverse verdict comes, I assure you that the doors of my office would remain open to the public as long as I live,” he added. He urged his supporters to campaign tirelessly for Aftab Akbar.

Published in Dawn, July 9th, 2018