SC turns down Rashid’s petition
RECORDER REPORT
LAHORE: The Supreme Court of Pakistan here Tuesday rejected plea of Chief of Awami Muslim League (AML) Sheikh Rashid to hold election in NA-60 Rawalpindi and issued notices to the federal government and election commission of Pakistan. The CJP hearing arguments of both the sides said, “Practically there is no possibility of election therefore no interim relief for elections today”.
Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar hearing appeal of Sheikh Rasheed Ahmad against the decision of Lahore High Court deferred the election in his constituency. The Election Commission of Pakistan had postponed the election in NA-60 after the disqualification of PML-N candidate Hanif Abbasi in Ephedrine case.
Pakistan Falah Party candidate Syed Rashid Gardezi for NA-60 was the only candidate who personally appeared before the bench and opposed the plea of Sheikh Rasheed through his counsel Malik Ghulam Mustafa Kandwal and Sajjad Akbar Abbasi advocates.
Counsel of Sheikh Rashid Sardar, Abdur Razzaq advocate, argued that the elections should not be postponed. He argued Maryam Nawaz and Safdar were convicted but the election was not postponed. At this, the court observed that they had the covering candidates but here no covering candidate was there in the field and hence majority would be deprived of their choice, the court added.
The counsel said it was the fault of the political party that failed to nominate anyone as covering candidate in the concerned constituency. At this, the CJP remarked: “A major political party would be out of election”. “Should they allow Abbasi to contest election?” the CJP questioned.
The CJP questioned the appellant’s counsel that how the election as possible on July 25th (today). The counsel replied that all the necessary election material had reached the constituency.
“Should they allow unopposed election?” the CJP remarked. “Sheikh Rasheed is contesting in some other constituency. Let him contest election,” the CJP addressed the counsel of Rasheed and issued notice to Attorney General of Pakistan and Election Commission of Pakistan to determine the facts.
