LAHORE, July 18: A Lahore High Court election tribunal on Monday reserved verdict on an election petition seeking disqualification of Pakistan People's Party MNA and former state minister Tariq Anees.

Runner-up candidate Daniyal Aziz had filed the petition after he lost his 2008 election against Anees from NA-116, Narowal.

Mr Aziz accused the MNA of rigging, saying that the respondent with the help of polling staff managed bogus votes in his favour. The petitioner alleged that on the polling day there was a lot of disturbance at more than 30 polling stations by the supporters of Mr Anees and one of his (Daniyal) supporters was murdered and he himself suffered injuries.

He alleged that ballot boxes were stolen by the respondent from 30 polling stations.

Mr Aziz contended that he had moved an application to the Narowal district returning officer who recommended the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to hold an inquiry into the allegations by the petitioner before issuing notification of returned candidate.

He said the ECP without considering his application and recommendation of returning officer announced the result and declared Anees as winner. Anees secured 45,097 and Aziz 37,138 votes.

He prayed that the result announced by the ECP be set aside and the commission be directed to issue notification of returned candidate in his favour.

On Monday, the tribunal comprising Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed reserved the verdict after counsels for both parties concluded their arguments.

In the case, the election tribunal imposed fine on either side more than once for not producing their witnesses and not appearing themselves too before a local commission, appointed by the tribunal to record evidences.

Warrants: The Lahore High Court on Monday issued bailable arrest warrants for First Women Bank's (FWBL) Faisalabad D-Ground Branch area manager Tasneem Rizvi for not appearing before the court to defend allegations of fraud and gratification against her and two other officers of the bank.

Petitioner Ammara Waqas submitted that Ms Rizvi along with branch manager Farida Yasmeen and credit manager Ammara Ismael used to visit her super store. She said the three officers convinced her to obtain Rs1 million loan from their bank to expand her business.

She said the respondents asked her for Rs100,000 for process fee and documentation for the loan facility which she gave them through cheque. The loan amount was transferred to her newly-opened bank account, but the respondents demanded more money as gratification and threatened to cancel the loan.

The petitioner alleged that when she did not fulfill illegal demands of the respondent bank officers, they managed to get her bank account seized and consequently she could not withdraw her loan amount from the account.

She said a complaint was filed with Madina Town police station but the police took no action against the respondent officials.

She prayed to the court to direct the police to take action against the respondents and get her money recovered from them.

Justice Muhammad Khalid Mehmood Khan had summoned all three respondents but only Ms Yasmeen and Ms Ismael appeared on Monday.

The court directed the two to file their reply on the next hearing and issued bailable arrest warrants for Ms Rizvi for July 28.

The court also summoned Madina Town SHO on the next hearing.