Case against Hassaan dismissed

LAHORE

The Lahore High Court on Monday dismissed petitions questioning eligibility of PML-N leader Khwaja Ahmad Hassaan to contest local government election and his unopposed victory as chairman from union council 107 of Lahore.

Justice Atir Mahmood had reserved the judgment on February 8, on the petition of Zubair Niazi of PTI. Advocate Sheraz Zaka had argued that Khwaja Ahmad Hassaan was not eligible to contest election for union council as he had been actively serving in different statutory bodies of the province. He said one day before filing nomination papers Khwaja Ahmad Hassaan had resigned from vice-chairmanship of LDA, chairmanship of Punjab Institute of Cardiology, Metro Bus Authority and Lahore Waste Management Company. He said the law did not allow a government official to contest election before a period of two years after relinquishing the job.

The government’s counsel had argued that the offices held by Khwaja Ahmad Hasaan were honourary in nature and did not fall in the definition of service of Pakistan. It urged the court to dismiss the petitions for being not maintainable.