LAHORE, Nov 5: Mr.Justice Raja Muhammad Sabir of the Lahore High Court on Monday declared the election of the Pakistan Peoples Party ticket-holder Tanvir Ashraf Kaira to the Punjab Assembly from Constituency PP-112-Gujrat void for contesting it on the basis of a bogus B.A. degree.

Accepting the petition of Chaudhry Riasat Ali, a voter of the constituency concerned, the learned judge cancelled Kaira’s notification as MPA-elect and directed the election commission to hold fresh elections to the seat.

He also allowed the Punjab University to initiate criminal proceedings against Kaira for contesting elections on the basis of a forged degree.

The learned judge observed in his verdict that the court had jurisdiction in the matter and could not permit an ineligible person to be elected as a member of the assembly. The voter of the area had no recourse but to challenge the election of such person through a quo warranto petition. — Reporter