LHC allows Shahid Khaqan Abbasi to contest from NA-57

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) allowed on Friday former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi to contest from his home constituency of NA-57, Murree.

A two-member bench headed by Justice Mazahir Ali Naqvi accepted Abbasi's appeal against the appellate tribunal's decision of rejecting his nomination papers and disqualifying him for life. 

The divisional bench of the LHC dismissed the tribunal's order against Abbasi. 

On Thursday, 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, had vowed to challenge the verdict. 

Soon after the verdict, 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 Geo News' programme 'Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath'. 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.