PESHAWAR, Jan 25: Awami National Party leader Asfandyar Wali Khan has filed an application before the Supreme Court for early hearing of his petition, challenging the disqualification of a losing candidate of October general elections from contesting the Senate polls.

Mr Khan has requested the apex court to decide the petition before the date fixed for withdrawal of nomination papers.

He claimed that if the petition was decided by the court after the elections and in case the plea of the petitioner was not accepted, his party would lose a Senate seat. The application was filed in Islamabad by Qazi Mohammad Anwer, who is a covering candidate of Mr Khan and also representing him before the court.

The applicant has said that the last date for the withdrawal of nomination papers was Feb 7. The party, he maintained, had 10 seats in the NWFP Assembly and it could easily win one general seat in the Senate. He said in case the court had not decided the matter before that date, the covering candidate would withdraw his nomination papers.

The applicant pointed out that if he won the elections and later the Supreme Court dismissed the petition, his seat would fall vacant. Moreover, in that case the party could not again win that seat as elections would be held only for filling that seat as in that case the party would require votes of half of the total membership of the assembly, he said.