LHC too rejects PTI's Cheema, wife pleas for contesting NA-133 

Lahore High Court (LHC) Tuesday dismissed petitions of PTI candidate-nominate Jamsheed Iqbal Cheema and his covering candidate Mussarat Jamshed Cheema for NA-133 who approach court against Returning Officer verdict on the rejection of their nomination papers acceptance, reported 24NewsHD TV channel. 

A two-member bench of LHC headed by Justice Amir Farooq and comprising Justice Muzamil Akhter Shabir retained decision of Returning Officer (RO) who earlier rejected the nomination papers of Cheema and his covering candidate Musarat Cheema on the ground that his proposer did not belong to the constituency.

The petitioners asked the court to nullify the order of the ECP’s Punjab Chapter which rejected their nomination papers and requested that their nomination papers be accepted.

Pertinent to note that two division benches of LHC earlier refused to hear the case and now the third bench that heard the case maintained the decision of RO. 

As per election laws, the proposer must be a resident of the constituency from where they are contesting the election.

Jamshed challenged the RO’s order in the Election Appellate Tribunal, but the tribunal rejected his appeal.

Earlier on October 30th, “The nomination papers of both the candidates were termed ‘unacceptable’ as the proposers did not belong to NA-133,” said the Returning Officer.

Ahmed Qayyum and Nasser Bhatta from Pakistan Muslim League- Nawaz (PML-N), completed the arguments and challenged the proposers of Jamsheed Cheema.

Naseer Ahmed Bhatta raised a question mark on the proposer’s residency of Model Town, the area comes under the constituency of NA-130. 

Naseer added that the judgments of Supreme Court, High Court, Seconder, and proposer, were present.

He further added that Jamsheed Cheema is incompetent to go for election.

As media reporters said that there was no other candidate ruling PTI from the NA-133 so far.

Reporter Malik Ashraf