LHC judge recuses himself from hearing Jamshed Cheema's plea 

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) Judge, Justice Shahid Waheed has recused himself from hearing Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf candidate Jamshed Cheema’s plea against rejection of his nomination papers for NA-133 by-polls, ARY News reported. 

Justice Shahid Waheed recused himself from the hearing citing personal reasons. After the refusal, the two-member bench has been dissolved now and the Cheema’s plea has been moved to LHC CJ for the formation of a new bench to hear.

Cheema had approached the LHC after an election tribunal dismissed their appeal against the returning officer’s (RO) decision to reject his nomination papers.

On Nov 5, the tribunal comprising LHC Justice Shahid Jameel dismissed the appeals after hearing arguments from the lawyers representing the petitioners, the PML-N  and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

Read more: Plea against rejection of Cheema’s nomination papers dismissed

It is pertinent to mention here that the returning officer (RO) had rejected the nomination papers of Jamshed Iqbal Cheema and his wife Musarrat (his covering candidate) on the ground that the proposers and seconders for the two are not residents of the constituency as required under the relevant election laws.

Cheema’s lawyer jad stated before the tribunal that the votes of the proposers and seconders were transferred from NA-133 to some other constituency.