Supreme Court dismisses plea seeking nullification of election

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Wednesday dismissed petition seeking cancellation of the election and imposed Rs. five lacs fine on the petitioner, ARY News reported.

Petitioner retired brigadier Ali Khan failed to appear today before the apex court bench headed by Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa.

CJP Qazi Faez Isa said in the hearing that the court’s office received an email on Feb 19 from petitioner Ali Khan. The chief justice read the email in the court saying he was out of country. He travelled to Doha and then Bahrain on a ticket of Qatar Airways on Feb 13.

“It is strange, you are filing petition on one day and next day you leave the country,” Justice Isa remarked. “Our branch has confirmed that the email belongs to the same person,” he said.

“The petitioner has written, he is out of country and requested for withdrawal of the petition,” CJP said. “Petitioner Ali Khan wrote he could not appear in court and annexed boarding pass, ticket and Bahrain travel papers with email,” Justice Isa said.

“According to the travel documents, petitioner has travelled to Bahrain via connecting flight from Doha”.

Additional Attorney General during the hearing told the court that the police went to the house of petitioner Ali Khan, while a notice was also sent to him via the ministry of defence. “Ali Khan has not been at home and the notice has been pasted at the gate of his house,” AAG said.

“Who is Ali Khan,” Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa asked the government lawyer. “He is a former brigadier and was court-martialed in Year 2012,” AAG replied.