PESHAWAR, Jan 18: The Peshawar High Court on Friday restrained former MPA, Malik Imran, from contesting forthcoming elections from provincial assembly constituency of PF-75, Lakki Marwat

A two-member bench comprising the Chief Justice Tallat Qayyum Qureshi and Justice Ghulam Mohiuddn Malik admitted to full hearing two writ petitions filed by a former federal minister and a rival candidate, Anwar Saifullah, and a voter in the said constituency, Inamullah Khan, both challenging candidature of Mr Imran on the ground that he allegedly possessed forged graduation degree.

The bench observed that the interim relief granted by the petitioner would be subject to the order of the Supreme Court, which would take up for hearing on Jan 21 an appeal of Mr Imran pertaining to his degree awarded to him by the Karachi University.

The bench suspended the impugned order of the concerned returning officer whereby nomination papers of Mr Imran were accepted after objection raised by Mr Saifullah.

Mr Imran on Friday produced relevant orders of the Supreme Court stating that his case had still been pending before the apex court, therefore, he could not be disqualified on that ground.

An identical appeal filed by Mr Saifullah was earlier dismissed by the election appellate tribunal of the high court last month.

Mr Saifullah stated that Malik Imran was earlier disqualified by the high court when he was an MPA as his earlier degree was forged and the Supreme Court had upheld that decision. He added that the degree of Al-Khair University produced by him was also fake.

Malik Imran, who is a candidate of MMA, stated that his present graduation degree of Al-Khair University had already been verified by the university and due to same reason the returning officer had accepted his nomination papers.

He requested the court to summon the relevant inquiry conducted by the Al-Khair University as the administration had not been providing a copy of the same.

He stated that cases about his earlier degree of BBA from Karachi University were pending before the Supreme Court and the Sindh High Court.