LHC suspends Rs 5,000 fine on National Assembly Speaker

Lahore High Court on Tuesday suspended the Election Tribunal fine of Rs 5,000, imposed on Speaker National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, for not filing a reply in response to an application moved by PTI Chairman Imran Khan. Earlier, the counsel of Ayaz submitted that the petitioner received the Election Tribunal notices after a delay of many days.
He said the petitioner had sought time from Election Tribunal to submit his reply in response to Imran Khan's petition regarding rigging in NA-124 constituency. However, the Election Tribunal imposed a fine on the petitioner instead of allowing more time to file a reply, the lawyer contended. He, therefore, prayed to the court to suspend the fine by declaring it illegal and unlawful. The court recorded initial arguments and suspended the fine till next date of hearing on February 13, 2014.