PESHAWAR, Jan 16: A two-member bench of the Peshawar High Court on Wednesday reserved judgment on a writ petition filed by the Swabi district Nazim, Sher Zaman Sher, challenging his disqualification by an election tribunal.

The bench comprising Justice Nasirul Mulk and Justice Ijazul Hassan said that until pronouncement of the judgment the petitioner should continue as Nazim.

The petitioner was disqualified on Nov 28 by the election tribunal from holding the Nazim’s office on the grounds that his matriculation certificate was fake.

The defeated candidate, Jehanzeb Khan had brought the objection petition against Mr Sher in August 2001.

His contention was that since Mr Sher had submitted a fake certificate with his nomination papers, he should have been removed from the office.

Mr Sher denied the allegations before the tribunal.

In the election, Sher was supported by the Swabi Group. He defeated Jehanzeb Khan, who was backed by the a four parties alliance. Sher had secured 502 votes and Khan 452.

Mr Khan had informed the tribunal that Mr Sher had appeared in the SSC examination conducted by the BISE, Peshawar, in 1967 as a private candidate but he failed in English and General Science.

In English, he got 43 marks out of 200 and in the General Science paper he obtained 24 marks out of 100.

Mr Khan said that the certificate submitted by Mr Sher with the nomination papers, indicating that he had passed in 3rd division under roll number 2860, was incorrect.

Advocate Aamir appeared for Mr Sher on Wednesday and argued that the certificate submitted by his client with the nomination paper was issued by the Khushal Lessa Afghanistan.