LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi reached the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Friday (today) for the hearing of his appeal against the tribunal’s verdict disqualifying him from contesting polls from his home constituency, NA-57 Murree.
A two-member bench is expected to take up the appeal today.
Yesterday, the appellate tribunal had found Abbasi guilty of “concealing facts and withholding information from voters” in his nomination forms submitted for the constituency.
The written verdict said that Abbasi does not meet the requirements under Article 62(1)(f) of the Constitution of Pakistan.
The former premier, in a statement to the media, vowed to challenge the verdict.
Soon after the verdict was announced, Abbasi had said that the appellate court did not have the authority to disqualify a person for life. Noting that he was disqualified on the issue of the market value of his assets, the former premier explained that his father had purchased their house in 1974 and he had mentioned the purchase price in his nomination forms.
Later in the evening, Abbasi appeared on media. He stressed that he would use his right to appeal and contest the election from the same constituency. He had questioned the law under which the verdict had been announced.
“Election commission and Supreme Judicial Council should take notice of making the election controversial,” Abbasi had remarked.
Final list of candidates today
Candidates unwilling to contest the General Election 2018 have until today evening to withdraw their nomination papers.
After election tribunals wrapped up verdicts on appeals against objections to the decisions of returning officers on June 27, the revised list of candidates was issued on June 28.
The electoral body will announce the final list of candidates later today.
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) asked candidates to submit party affiliation certificates by June 29.
It is mandatory for the candidates to submit their party tickets in order to be allotted their electoral symbols. Those who fail to do so will be considered independent candidates.
The elections are scheduled to be held on July 25, 2018.
