ISLAMABAD, Aug 26: The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed three petitions filed by politicians convicted on the charges of corruption, seeking permission to contest forthcoming general elections.

Two petitions were filed by Mian Manzoor Ahmad Wattoo, former chief minister of Punjab and by Makhdoom Ali Raza Shah, former MPA of Punjab.

Senior counsel, S. M. Zafar, represented Mian Manzoor Ahmad Wattoo and contended that disqualifying a politician was equivalent to awarding death sentence to an accused of murder.

He asked the apex court to set aside the LHC order wherein it had turned down the request of convicted politician, to hear his appeal at urgent basis.

Manzoor Wattoo had approached the LHC to take up his petition at urgent basis. The request was turned down by the LHC office. When it was challenged before the judge, he upheld the office order.

The SC bench comprising Justice Qazi Mohammad Farooq, Justice Deedar Hussain Shah and Justice Mohammad Nawaz Abbasi, after hearing S. M. Zafar and NAB prosecutor general Naveed Rasool, dismissed the petitions.

Makhdoom Ali Raza Shah, another petitioner, was convicted on the charges of building community centre at his personal property with the government funds of Rs 260,000. He stated that he had returned the amount to the government and even then his case was sent to the court which convicted him. He also sought permission to contest forthcoming election which was denied to him.