LAHORE, Sept 16: An Election Tribunal of the Lahore High Court on Thursday accorded provisional permission to Abdullah Javed to contest by-election on a Punjab Assembly seat from Gujranwala (PP-93).

Comprising Justices Sheikh Abdur Rashid and Mohammad Bilal Khan, the tribunal held however that in case of his winning the election, a notification would not be issued in the name of Abdullah Jan till a decision on a writ petition filed by him against rejection of his candidature by the returning officer.

The seat fell vacant on the death of MMA's Maulana Ghulam Farid Hazarvi. The polling will take place on Oct 3. The returning officer rejected the candidature of Abdullah Jan, son of city Nazim Babu Javed Ahmad, on the ground that he had attached with nomination papers the Shahadat-i-Aalamia degree from a religious institution of Mardan which was not affiliated with the University Grants Commission.

He challenged the returning officer's decision through a writ petition filed with the Lahore High Court that issued notices to respondents, the University Grants Commission and the returning officer.

MMA NOMINEE: The MMA has nominated Maulana Ashraf Jalali for PP-93 (Gujranwala) by poll. Maulana Jalali belongs to the JUP. The seat fell vacant due to the death of MMA's Maulana Ghulam Farid Hazaravi, who also belonged to the JUP.