LHC rejects petition challenging Senate nomination of PM’s sister

F.P. Report

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Saturday dismissed a petition of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf ( PTI) challenging the nomination papers of Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi’s sister Sadia Abbasi for the forthcoming Senate polls.

An appellate bench of the high court gave this verdict after hearing arguments of both sides. PTI leader Andleeb Abbas challenged the returning office’s decision to accept Sadia Abbasi’s nomination for the Senate on a seat reserved for women.

Abbasi’s lawyer argued that the petitioner did not raise objections on his client’s nomination papers before the returning officer during their scrutiny. He stated the petition was not maintainable and requested the court to dismiss it.

In the petition, the PTI leader argued that the premier’s sister had concealed details of her assets in the nomination papers. Besides, she also possessed the nationality of more than one country, therefore, she was not eligible to be a senator, the petitioner argued.

The PTI leader pleaded with the bench to declare the premier’s sister ineligible to contest the Senate polls.

Meanwhile, the bench also dismissed another petition filed by the PTI leader through which she challenged the acceptance of PML-N candidate Nuzhat Sadiq’s nomination papers for the Senate polls.

Andleeb Abbas challenged Ms Sadiq’s nomination, arguing that she had not placed on record any proof to show that she had surrendered her dual nationality.

The PML-N candidates – Sadia Abbasi and Nuzhat Sadiq – had filed nomination papers for the Senate seat reserved for women from Punjab, which were accepted by the ECP’s returning officer after their scrutiny.