PESHAWAR, Feb 3: The Awami National Party has challenged the candidature of Jamaat-i-Islami deputy chief Professor Khursheed Ahmad for the scheduled Senate elections from NWFP and prayed before the Peshawar High Court to delete his name from the list of contestants.

A writ petition was filed by provincial parliamentary leader of the ANP, Bashir Ahmad Bilour, on Monday stating that Mr Ahmad belonged to Karachi, therefore his contesting the elections on general seats for NWFP was in violation of law.

The petition, filed through advocate Qazi Mohammed Anwer, states that Mr Ahmad had registered a bogus vote at Al-Markaz-i-Islami Colony, Sardar Garhi, Peshawar, which was a violation of section 6 and 7 of the Electoral Rolls Act, 1974.

The respondents in the petition are Mr Ahmad, chief election commissioner of Pakistan, provincial election commissioner and Election Commission of Pakistan through its secretary.

The petitioner stated that the JI leader was born in New Delhi and had acquired education in Karachi.

He stated that his addresses in his domicile and national identity card were of Sindh and not of the NWFP. He stated that the main object of the Upper House of the Parliament (Senate) was equal representation to all the four provinces and by nominating Mr Ahmad that objective had been violated.

He prayed before the court to declare the nomination of respondent, Mr Ahmad, for general seats against the object of the Senate and his enlistment as voter from Al-Markaz-i-Islami Colony be declared illegal, improper and void.

The petitioner had further prayed to issue directions for deletion of Mr Ahmad’s name from the electoral roll of Al-Markaz- i-Islami Colony.

The petitioner had also sought interim relief, praying the court to restrain the Jamaat-i-Islami leader from contesting polls scheduled for Feb 24, or stay the elections in NWFP till final disposal of the writ petition.