SC defers petitions against election candidates after July 25 polls

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan decided to postpone the court proceedings on three separate petitions against the candidacy of politicians contesting polls from different constituencies of Punjab.

A three-judge bench of the apex court, headed by Justice Azmat Sheikh remarked that the petitions will be heard after upcoming general elections.

The court granted permission to PTI candidate from NA-146 Ahmad Joiya and, independent candidates Badshah Qaisrani and Khwaja Islam from PP-285 D.G. Khan and PP-111 Faisalabad respectively to contest polls, while observing that the court will hear the petitions against them once elections are conducted.

Petitioner Waseem Zafar had filed a complaint against PTI’s candidate Ahmad Joiya’s candidature alleging that in the previous three elections Joiya had mentioned his educational qualification to be a graduate.

On the other hand, the affidavit submitted by him, to the top court, in recent polls reads that he is a matriculate, the petition adds.

Last week the Supreme Court ordered the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to halt investigations against PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari and his sister Faryal Talpur in the fake bank accounts case till the coming general elections are over.

“We do not want excuses that the July 25 elections are rigged,” observed Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar while hearing a suo motu case regarding the fake accounts and suspicious transactions worth Rs35 billion involving PPP’s top leaders.