PESHAWAR, Oct 4: The Peshawar High Court on Tuesday dismissed a writ petition seeking disqualification of former provincial minister Ghaniur Rehman from contesting the election for the post of Hangu district nazim.

The petitioner, Haji Khan Afzal, had contended that Mr Rehman had been convicted by an accountability court and his conviction had been upheld by the high court, thus he stood disqualified from holding any public office.

The bench comprising Justice Ijazul Hassan and Justice Saleem Khan dismissed the petition in a short order.

Advocate Qazi Mohammad Anwer appeared for Mr Rehman and argued that the Supreme Court had on May 20, 2003, suspended the sentence awarded to him.

“It is a democratic process and the court should promote the right of participation in election campaign. People have the right to choose their representative and the courts have to promote democratic institutions,” he argued, adding: “Instead of disqualifying the respondent, let the electors be permitted to choose their representative.”

He referred to the case of former chief minister Sardar Mehtab Ahmad Khan, who was allowed to contest election for the Senate although he had a sentence against himself suspended by the Lahore High Court.

The petitioner’s counsel Saeed Baig contended that an accountability court on May 30, 2001, convicted Mr Rehman and sentenced him to eight-year rigorous imprisonment, a fine of Rs20 million and confiscation of his property. The high court on Jun 26, 2002, dismissed his appeal and upheld his conviction, the lawyer said. He said the former minister’s appeal was pending before the Supreme Court.