ISLAMABAD, The Supreme Court on Thursday allowed Sanaullah Mastikhail, an independent candidate from NA-91 Bhakkar, to contest general elections and instructed the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to include his name in ballot papers.
The court set aside the verdict of Lahore High Court for rejecting the nomination papers of the petitioner and restored the decision of election tribunal dated January 5.
The top court’s bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa heard the appeal of Mastikhail against the rejection of his nomination papers.
During the course of proceedings, the complainant’s lawyer adopted the stance that Mastikhail was an absconder.
Asking about the nature of crime committed by the petitioner, the CJP observed that the court would allow him to contest election if he was not involved in any heinous crime.
Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar noted that the petitioner was no more absconder as he had been granted bail.
Justice Musarrat Hilali remarked that Sanaullah Mastikhail was accused of mere burning tyres.
The CJP bserved that the LHC announced the verdict in same day after admitting the complaint against the petitioner. It was discrimination to oust someone from electoral process, he remarked.
To a query, an ECP official said that ballot papers were reading for printing.
The court, subsequently, accepted the appeal of Sanaullah Mastikhail and allowed him to participate in the polls on February 8.
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