The Lahore High Court on Tuesday dismissed two petitions and allowed Chief of Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat Maulana Ahmad Ludhyanvi to contest election from NA-115 and PP126 (Jhang). The petitioner Fida Hussain had challenged the candidature of Ludhyanvi from both the constituencies. He alleged that Ludhyanvi while filling his nomination papers did not disclose the details of his assets and also the criminal cases registered against him.
The petitioner asked the court to set aside the impugned decisions and reject the nomination papers of Ludhyanvi. Ludhyanvi's counsel opposed the petitions and objected to their maintainability. The court after hearing both the sides dismissed the petitions.
The court also allowed Nasir Cheema of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to contest election from PP-53 Gujranwala. The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had disqualified Cheema for displaying pictures of the Chief Justice of Pakistan and the army chief on his banners/posters for the election campaign.
The petitioner's counsel Barrister Khalid Ishaq argued that the objectionable banners on the basis of which the ECP disqualified the petitioner were displayed before the announcement of electoral code. The counsel further argued that no complaint had been filed against the petitioner before the commission. He also argued that the impugned decision by the ECP had not referred to any law invoked for the disqualification of the petitioner. He asked the court to set aside the disqualification decision by the ECP and allow the petitioner to contest the upcoming general election.