Ex-PM Abbasi challenges disqualification for life verdict

Former Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi challenged on Thursday an election tribunal’s decision of disqualifying him for life from Murree's NA-57 constituency.

An appeal was filed in the Lahore High Court (LHC) by former premier's counsel Khawaja Tariq Rahim. In the petition, Abbasi has stated that the election tribunal does not have the authority to disqualify a person for lifetime.

It further reads that the election tribunal only has the jurisdiction to either accept or reject a Returning Officer's decision in accepting or rejecting any nomination papers, local media reported.

Imran Khan cleared for NA-53 but Abbasi’s candidature for NA-57 rejected

Petitioner Masood Ahmed Abbasi had challenged the acceptance of former PM's nomination papers, stating that he tampered with them. After which his nomination papers were rejected by the RO.

An appellant tribunal of Lahore High Court, chaired by Justice Ibadul Rehman Lodhi, disqualified Abbasi under Article 62(i) (f) of the Constitution on Wednesday. In its written judgment, the election tribunal disqualified Abbasi for 'concealing facts and withholding information from his voters' in his nomination papers.

It also declared that the ex-PM was not ‘Sadiq’ and ‘Amin’ (honest and truthful). It noted that Abbasi was not a qualified person to 'be elected or chosen as a member of Majlis-e-Shoora (parliament) within the meaning of Article 62(1)(f) of the Constitution of Pakistan.'