ISLAMABAD: The returning officer (RO) on Wednesday reserved the verdict in response to a plea filed by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), seeking rejection of Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani’s nomination papers for what it claimed on the ground of concealing his disqualification by the Supreme Court in 2012.
The RO was hearing a plea filed by PTI leader, Fareed Rehman, urging the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to reject the nomination papers of Gilani, the joint candidate of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) from Islamabad, as he was convicted by the Supreme Court in 2012.
The hearing was held twice after the RO granted time to the counsel for the PTI leader to come up with arguments.
At the early morning hearing, the RO granted time to the PTI leader till 3pm to come up with arguments in the case.
When the counsel for the PTI sought extra time, it was opposed by Gilani’s lawyer.
Gilani’s counsel contended that his client had completed the sentence given to him by the apex court, adding after completing the sentence he was able to contest the elections.
“My client’s [Gilani] disqualification ended in 2017,” said the lawyer.
However, the RO rejected the argument and granted time to the petitioner’s lawyer to submit his argument by 3pm.
When the hearing resumed at 3pm again, the PTI leader, through his counsel contended that Gilani does not meet the criteria as defined by Articles 62 and 63.
He also argued that Gilani’s nomination papers be rejected as the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) was hearing the Toshakhana reference against him.
He alleged that Gilani “abused” his powers as prime minister.
“Violation of the PM’s oath leads to lifelong disqualification,” said the PTI lawyer.
He said that as cases were being heard against the former prime minister he should not be allowed to contest the elections.
At this, the counsel for Gilani intervened and claimed that the case against his client was filed to carry out a media trial.
He said the PTI lawyer was only giving references of cases that were under trial.
He further told the RO that if a case was under trial, it did not mean that Gilani’s nomination papers should be rejected.
He also said the sentence given to Gilani was “a token sentence”, which lasted less than five minutes.
He quipped that he did not know that the PTI leader was arguing the case on behalf of the NAB.
The RO, after hearing the arguments, reserved the verdict in the case, and adjourned the hearing till Thursday at 9am.
During the recess, the PTI lawyer, Gilani, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Raja Pervaiz Ashraf spoke to media outside the ECP.
Abbasi alleged that the ECP had made the Senate elections controversial, which was not good for democracy.
Gilani said if Raja Pervez Ashraf and Khaqan Abbasi had not been with him in the ECP hearing, his nomination papers would have been rejected.
The PPP leader also hit out at the ECP for “double standards”, arguing, the top electoral body rejected Nayyar Bukhari’s request for more time but granted extra time to the PTI lawyer.
To this, Abbasi also added that if Gilani’s proposer and seconder had not been present, his nomination papers would have been rejected.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2021
Comments
Comments are closed.