ISLAMABAD, Aug 28: The returning officer (RO) for NA-49 rejected the nomination papers of Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar, the son of PPP leader Haji Nawaz Khokhar.

The RO, in his order, noted that under Article 62 of the constitution, a candidate must be 25 years of age while according to the copy of his higher secondary school certificate Mr Mustafa was 24.

The objection was raised by the PPPP candidate, Syed Nayyar Hussain Bukhari. He and his counsel, Mohsin Akhtar Kiani, cited a judgment of the Supreme Court according to which the date of birth of a person as mentioned on his matric certificate would be considered final and ultimate evidence.

It may be mentioned that Mustafa had filed his nomination papers as an independent candidate after he was refused ticket from the Pakistan People’s Party Parliamentarian.

He did not appear before the court when objections were being heard against his candidature.

His counsel told the court that Mr Mustafa had filed a petition in the court of civil judge, Nadia Ikram Malik, who had ordered the Federal Directorate of Education to make correction about the date of birth of the petitioner. Later, the Board had challenged it in the Lahore High Court which was admitted setting aside the order of the civil court. Mustafa, however, had filed an appeal before the Lahore High Court (Appellate Bench) that his correct date of birth was mentioned in his Bachelor’s degree which he had obtained from some foreign university.

Our Staff Reporter from Rawalpindi adds: The former deputy speaker of the national assembly, Haji Muhammad Nawaz Khokhar, on Wednesday accused his political rivals of creating hurdles in the way of his son to keep him away from contesting elections.

Mr Khokhar told reporters during a news conference that the age of his son, registered in the union council is 26, was correct which had been declared authentic by the two courts. But, the rival candidate from the PPPP instigated the federal board of intermediate and secondary education to challenge it in the Lahore High Court, which nullified the two earlier verdicts of the lower courts. Khokhar said he would challenge the LHC decision in the Supreme Court.

He alleged that the PPPP candidate was afraid of his popularity.