QUETTA, Aug 30: A lawyer from Lahore filed a petition in the Balochistan High Court on Friday challenging acceptance of nomination papers of PML-N’s presidential candidate Justice (retd) Saeeduzzaman Siddiqui by the Election Commission.

Advocate Ali Mumtaz, president of the Independent Lawyers’ Forum, also submitted an application seeking hearing of the case before the presidential election.

The petitioner accuses Justice (retd) Siddiqui of dividing the apex court when a bench in Quetta headed by Justice Irshad Ahmed Khan suspended the then chief justice of the Supreme Court, Justice (retd) Syed Sajjad Ali Shah, on Nov 26, 1997.

The petitioner pleaded that Mr Siddiqui should be declared disqualified for tarnishing the dignity of the court and undermining the Constitution.

—Correspondent