Lahore (Staff Report): The Supreme Court (SC) has suspended Lahore High Court’s (LHC) verdict regarding the revision of the nomination forms to be submitted by candidates for upcoming general elections.
A two-member Supreme Court (SC) bench, headed by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar, on Sunday heard petitions filed by the Election Commission of Pakistan and former speaker of the National Assembly Ayaz Sadiq challenging the high court’s order to redraft the nomination forms.
The CJP asserted that elections will take place on July 25 as decreed by President Mamnoon Hussain upon recommendation of the electoral body, adding that the ECP will be held responsible for any delay in the forthcoming polls.
In her LHC judgement on Friday, Judge Ayesha A. Malik had said that the nomination form does not include mandatory information and declarations as required from the aspiring lawmakers by the Constitution and law, including details such as their educational background, criminal record or if they are dual nationals.
The LHC in its judgement noted that the impugned forms do not contain the following information and declarations that were a part of the 2013 nomination forms:
Educational qualifications of the candidate
Current occupation/job/profession/business of the candidate
Dual nationality, if any
National Tax Number/Income tax returns/ and payment of income tax
Agriculture tax returns and payment of agriculture tax
Criminal record, if any
Assets and liabilities of dependents
Declaration pertaining to election expenses
Declaration pertaining to any default in loan or government dues by dependents
Declaration that the candidate will abide by the code of conduct issued by ECP
