LAHORE, March 28: The Lahore High Court on Thursday slapped a Rs500,000 fine on a petitioner for withdrawing a petition seeking disqualification of a former PML-N MPA, Khwaja Muhammad Islam, for having a fake degree.

As Justice Khalid Mahmood Khan resumed hearing on Thursday, the petitioner’s counsel stated that his client Ashiq Husain wanted to withdraw the petition.

This request invited anger of the judge, who observed that the petitioner wasted precious time of the court and now wanted to withdraw the case at a stage when decision was about to come.

Justice Khan further observed: “Such people first move courts with ulterior motives and later enter into underhand deals with the opponent parties.”

He said this fact could not be ignored and imposed fine on the petitioner.

Ashiq Husain, a voter from PP-72 Faisalabad, had alleged in his petition that Khwaja Islam contested 2008 general election on the basis of fake BA degree. He had sought disqualification of the respondent in the light of articles 62 and 63 of the Constitution.