LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Tuesday disposed of a petition of a US national Pakistani Syed Iqtidar Shah and directed the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to decide the petitioner’s application seeking disqualification of Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari within 30 days.

The petitioner sought the disqualification of chairman Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) Bilawal for use of symbol of PPP (parliamentarian), headed by former president Asif Ali Zardari, on the flags and manifesto of PPP.

The petitioner submitted that the Election Act, 2017, did not allow any political party to use the election symbol of any other party. He said the respondent contested the last general election on the ticket of PPP (Parliamentarian) despite being a head of another party. He said the act of the respondent was a violation of section 215 (3) of the Election Act 2017. The petitioner said an application to declare Bilawal disqualified to hold any public office was pending with the ECP for a long time.

He asked the court to order the ECP to decide his application. The court disposed of the petition with direction to the ECP to decide the application of the petitioner within 30 days.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022