NA-60 poll delay: LHC reserves verdict on Sheikh Rasheed's appeal

RAWALPINDI: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday reserved its verdict on a petition of Awami Muslim League (AML) chief Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed against the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for deferring election to a National Assembly seat from Rawalpindi (NA-60). 

He filed a petition in the LHC Rawalpindi bench, contending that election cannot be postponed on account of the conviction of a contestant. Why should voters of the constituency suffer due to the conviction, he asked.

He pleaded with the high court to set aside the Commission’s decision and direct it to conduct election in the constituency on July 25.

A day earlier, the ECP issued a notification postponing election in NA-60 after disqualification of Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) candidate Hanif Abbasi due to his conviction by the Control of Narcotics Substances Court in the ephedrine case.

The ECP put off the election owing to criticism in political and social circles over the timing of the court verdict.

On Saturday, Abbasi was arrested and sent to Adiala jail after the Control of Narcotics Substances (CNS) Court in Rawalpindi sentenced him to life imprisonment in the case related to misuse of controlled chemical ephedrine.