SC allows two absconding PTI leaders to contest elections

The Supreme Court of Pakistan allowed Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s Tahir Sadiq and Umar Aslam to contest elections, ruling that a person cannot be stopped from contesting elections simply because they are absconders.

Justice Mansoor Ali Shah made the ruling in favour of the two PTI leaders by overturning a decision of the Lahore High Court.

During the hearing he asked the Election Commission of Pakistan’s counsel if any provision of the law barred a person who had been absonding or had been declared a proclaimed offender.

The ECP counsel replied that the absconders have been charged with violating the law.

However, the judge said that contesting the elections was a fundamental right and the court could not take away.

In another case, PTI candidate Sanam Javed’s case was adjourned as ECP’s lawyer was not available to argue the case.

However, PTI candidate Arif Abbasi was denied the opportunity to contest elections after a bench led by Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa upheld the decision of the election tribunal.

Justice Isa remarked that the candidate had not obtained bail in the cases he had been nominated in and had not answered about his son’s properties in London.