PESHAWAR, Sept 24: The Peshawar High Court on Friday set aside the Lakki Marwat district returning officer’s order of rejecting nomination papers of the Pakistan Muslim League (N) backed candidate, Munawar Khan, for the post of district nazim.

A two-member bench comprising Justice Qaim Jan Khan and Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan allowed a writ petition filed by Munawar Khan, brother of former PML-N MNA, Haji Kabir Khan.

The bench declared the order of the DRO issued on Sept 20 as illegal and allowed Mr Munawar to contest the polls.

Mr Munawar is contesting elections against former district nazim Humayun Saifullah Khan who belongs to the PML-Q backed Khushal Pakistan group.

The nomination papers of Mr Munawar were accepted by the returning officer, but on an appeal filed by Muhammad Jamil the DRO rejected them on the ground that he had not mentioned his income from his concern Bannu Sugar Mills in the nomination papers.

Advocate Qazi Muhammad Anwer appeared for the petitioner and argued that the nomination papers filed by Mr Munawar were complete in all respects. He added that he had mentioned his personal income as well as all his assets.

About the Bannu Sugar Mills, he argued that Mr Munawar was the shareholder in the mills and had mentioned his entire shares. He added that the board of directors of the sugar mills were empowered to declare the income and not the petitioner.

Advocate Lateef Yousafzai appeared for the respondent, Muhammad Jamil, and contended that the petitioner had concealed his income from the sugar mills and his papers were rightly rejected by the DRO.