BAHAWALPUR, Aug 24: PPP chairperson Ms Benazir Bhutto is qualified in every respect to contest the elections and even the rules framed by the government do not disqualify her in any way.

This was stated by PPPP leader Aitzaz Ahsan, who filed his nomination papers from NA-187 (Bahawalpur five), while talking to Dawn here on Saturday at the residence of district Nazim Tariq Cheema.

He said the government’s contention was entirely wrong because Ms Bhutto was convicted for not appearing in NAB courts. He said the NAB Ordinance could not be applied to Ms Bhutto till she returned to the country.

According to the NAB Ordinance, he said, it was only applicable to only such Pakistanis abroad who had been in the government service. But, Aitzaz said Ms Bhutto had never been in the government service for a single day.

He said under Article 260, a prime minister or MNA was never considered and treated as a government servant. Hence, he said, that under Section 31(A) of the NAB Ordinance whatever sentences had been passed against Ms Bhutto had no legal binding and that her nomination papers could not be rejected.

Secondly, he said, in the light of a Supreme Court judgment in the case of Liaquat Hussain in 1999, the trial against anybody in Pakistani courts could not be initiated in any offence in his/her absence.

This ruling of the Supreme Court was applicable to all cases and offences and none of them was exempted from it, he said. If any one was accused of absence from court or was absconding, then in accordance with the SC judgment, the trial against such person could only be initiated when either he was arrested and brought to court or surrendered himself to court. He said in that case the alleged accused could also produce the reason of his absence from court.

Mr Ahsan said that as the convictions to Ms Bhutto were announced in absentia, hence legally and constitutionally, these did not exist. He said on this ground and other legal basis, the PPPP was of the firm view that neither Ms Bhutto could be prevented from returning to Pakistan nor her nomination papers could be cast away.

To a question, Mr Ahsan said that if the RO rejected her papers, it would be challenged in the Supreme Court. But, he said, we were confident that courts would admit our point of view.

He said if Ms Bhutto’s papers were not accepted, then party’s CEC and ARD would meet and decide the future course of action. Meanwhile, Mian Riaz Hussain Peerzada (Millat Party) and Syed Tasneem Nawaz Gardezi (PML-QA) filed papers from NA-186 (Bahawalpur four), Rizwan Akhtar from (PP-273) and Dr Muhammad Afzal (PPP) from PP-276.

PAPERS FILED: Eight more candidates filed their nomination papers here on Friday.