News
Sunday, April 14, 2013
‘Fake degree convict’ allowed to contest pollsPESHAWAR/ RAWALPINDI: An election appellate tribunal on Saturday allowed former Khyber Pakhtunkhwa minister and Awami National Party leader Aqil Shah to context next month’s election, setting aside his earlier conviction in a fake degree case.
The three-member tribunal, consisting of Justice Mian Fasihul Mulk, Justice Mazhar Alam Miankhel and Justice Irshad Qaiser, upheld the former minister’s appeal, setting aside the conviction by Justice Shaibar Khan on April 4.
Senior lawyer Latif Afridi pleaded the case of Aqil Shah, who was received by party activists as he emerged from the Peshawar Prison’s gate.
Aqil Shah will try his luck to retain his PK-5 seat amidst stiff challenges from rival candidates. He was the third former member of the KP Assembly to be convicted on the charge of holding a fake degree after Khalif Abdul Qayyum from Dera Ismail Khan and Sardar Ali from Swabi.
Separately, PML-N leader Mir Badshah Qaisrani’s appeal has also been accepted.
Over in Rawalpindi, an election tribunal declared ineligible the candidate of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) for PP-48, Hameed Akbar Nawani.
The tribunal resumed hearing of petitions against nomination papers of candidates on Saturday.
The papers of Hameed Akbar Nawani were rejected owing to corruption charges against him.
Meanwhile, the tribunal has accepted the papers of PML-N’s Rasheed Akbar Nawani and Saeed Akbar Nawani for NA-74 and PP-49, respectively.
The tribunal dismissed the appeal against Dr Nelson Azeem.
Furthermore, the tribunal has accepted the papers of MQM’s Raja Ijaz Hussain for NA-55 and PP-11 and 12, while All Pakistan Muslim League’s (APML) Fakhra Zainab Zaida was declared eligible to contest from PP-11. staff report/agenciesCourtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk