MULTAN: Election Tribunal Judge Shahid Karim suspended on Friday the disqualification of Salman Naeem, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) MPA from PP-217, by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Oct 1.

Mr Naeem filed a petition with the tribunal challenging his disqualification, saying that the act of ECP in determining the application filed by respondent Nos 2 and 5 - Shoaib Akmal Qureshi Hashmi and Makhdoom Shah Mehmood Qureshi - was out with the authority of the ECP.

He stated that his lawyers challenged the short order of disqualification as the short order could not have been passed and that was the prerogative of superior courts.

“In the said order it has been observed that detailed order was recorded separately. To this date that detailed order has not been made available to the petitioner. This also impugned upon the rights of the voters of the constituency who have since been un-represented and have been deprived of their lawful elected representation,” he stated.

Justice Karim directed to issue notices to the respondents for Nov 11.

Mr Naeem defeated Shah Mehmood Qureshi as an independent candidate in the July 25 elections. He was disqualified by the ECP for being underage, as per Nadra record he is less than 25 years and no candidate, less than 25 years of age is qualified to retain the seat.

In the elections, Mr Naeem secured 35,300 votes while PTI candidate Mr Qureshi bagged 31,716 votes. By-election for the constituency is to be held on Nov 28.

Published in Dawn, October 13th, 2018