LAHORE: Tehreek-e-Labaik Ya Rasool Allah (TLYR) leader Maulana Ashraf Asif Jalali’s nomination papers were rejected on Wednesday by the Lahore High Court appellate tribunal and he was declared ineligible to contest in the upcoming general elections.
According to a local media report, the decision was made in accordance with article 62 and 63 of the Constitution during the hearing of an appeal against the approval of Jalali’s nomination papers for NA-81 Gujranwala constituency.
Moreover, the tribunal termed the returning officer’s decision as null and void. At the same time, it allowed former state minister Saira Afzal Tarar to contest the upcoming general election.
A voter from NA-87 (Hafizabad) had filed an appeal against the decision of the returning officer saying Tarar concealed details of her properties in nomination papers. However, the tribunal dismissed the appeal and upheld the decision of the returning officer.
PML-N’s covering candidate from NA-81 (Gujranwala), Atif Farid Sabir challenged the nomination papers of Maulana Jalali accusing him of not disclosing information about his income tax return.
He said Jalali had also failed to submit his passport to the returning officer despite an order issued by the Supreme Court. He said the returning officer had ignored the facts and accepted nomination papers of Jalali.
The tribunal accepted the appeal and set aside the decision of the returning officer disqualifying Maulana Jalali to contest the polls.
