LAHORE: An election tribunal comprising Justice Anwaar Hussain of the Lahore High Court on Friday issued notices on an election petition challenging the victory of Federal Minister for Information Attaullah Tarar from NA-127 and summoned complete poll records.
PTI-backed independent candidate Malik Zaheer Abbas Khokhar, who stood runner-up, assailed the victory notification of Mr Tarar.
A counsel for the petitioner argued that the impugned notification was a result of corrupt and illegal practices committed on the polling day. He alleged that the election commission manipulated and forged Forms 45 and 47 to declare the respondent a returned candidate.
He asked the tribunal to set aside the impugned notification and declare the petitioner a returned candidate from NA-127.
The tribunal issued notices to the ECP, the returned candidate and other respondents for submission of their replies by July 22.
The tribunal directed the ECP to furnish certified copies of Forms 45, 46 and 47 along with affidavits as well as the result uploaded on the commission’s website.
Mohsin Naqvi: A petition has been filed in the LHC seeking disqualification of Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi as a member of the Senate.
Citizen Mashkoor Hussain stated in his petition that Mr Naqvi was holding the office of the Pakistan Cricket Board chairman when he was elected as a senator. He argued that the respondent was not eligible to continue his membership of the Senate while holding the office of the PCB chairman.
Gill’s brother: Hearing a petition for the recovery of PTI leader Shahbaz Gill’s missing brother, the LHC observed that all agencies were bound to comply with the court orders.
Inspector General of Police Usman Anwar was present in court when Justice Amjad Rafiq resumed the hearing.
The judge questioned, “If the police cannot find one person, whom should we ask?” He observed that the same people (current authorities) would be standing in court seeking relief tomorrow.
“Every day a police officer stands before us requesting a little more time, saying they are still searching for the alleged missing man,” Justice Rafiq reminded the IGP.
The police chief stated that the last location of the abducted person had been traced near Bahria Town. He said the police needed data from the cellular companies and an official permission to perform geofencing.
“You want the court to pass directions for every action. Why don’t you act on your own?” the judge asked the IGP.
Addressing the petitioner’s counsel, Justice Rafiq said it appeared that the police did not want to recover the missing person. He said, “If police don’t act, the court will ask the FIA. If they don’t act either, we will ask the ISI. And finally, I will ask the people of Pakistan to find the missing person.”
The judge adjourned the hearing till July 4.
Published in Dawn, June 29th, 2024
