After NA-57 blow, Abbasi’s election fate for NA-53 also indecisive

ISLAMABAD: A petition seeking to restrain former Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi from contesting the July 25 elections from NA-53 Islamabad was filed in the Islamabad High Court (IHC).

Hamdardan-e-Watan Party (HWP) chairman Mian Ghulam Rasool moved the petition in the high court, requesting it to declare the former premier ineligible to contest the polls from NA-53.

He contended that Mr. Abbasi has been disqualified under Article 62 (1)(f) of the Constitution for life and questioned how a person disqualified under this Article could contest elections from NA-53?

On Tuesday, the appellate tribunal of the Lahore High Court (LHC) not only barred the PML-N stalwart from contesting elections from his native constituency NA-57 (Murree) but also disqualified him for life for being not honest and sagacious.

A day earlier, Mr. Abbasi approached the Lahore High Court against the appellate election tribunal’s decision.

The former PM says in his petition that the tribunal has surpassed its authority when it disqualified him for life.

On June 26,  an appellate tribunal in Islamabad set aside a ruling of the returning officer concerned to reject nomination papers of Abbasi for NA-53 Islamabad, allowing him to contest the polls from this constituency.

The Appellate Tribunal comprising Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani gave this verdict on an appeal filed by the PML-N stalwart challenging the RO verdict of rejecting his nomination papers.

On June 19, the RO rejected the former premier’s nomination papers on the ground that he submitted an incomplete affidavit.

Abbasi along with his counsel appeared before the tribunal and contended that the RO rejected his nomination form because it was incomplete.

In doing so, the RO went beyond his jurisdiction, the lawyer argued and pleaded that his client be allowed to run in the upcoming general elections.