Supreme Court Disqualifies PTI MPA Abdul Munim Khan

The Supreme Court (SC) Friday set a side Peshawar High Court (PHC) verdict and disqualified Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf MPA from PK-88 Shangla, Abdul Munim Khan over holding government service until two days prior to the 2013 elections.

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 23rd Feb, 2018 ) :The Supreme Court (SC) Friday set a side Peshawar High Court (PHC) verdict and disqualified Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf MPA from PK-88 Shangla, Abdul Munim Khan over holding government service until two days prior to the 2013 elections.

A three-member bench of the apex court headed by Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed announced the verdict on an election petition filed by rival candidate Sher Alam, who challenged the PHC's verdict that had set aside the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP)'s decision about disqualification of the PTI lawmaker.

During the course of proceedings, Advocate Akram Sheikh counsel for the petitioner informed the bench that the ECP, in April 2017, had disqualified Khan on Alam's petition.

However, the PTI MPA had taken a stay on the ECP's order from the PHC.

He said Abdul Munim was disqualified over serving government school teacher in the Kohistan district before the 2013 elections and that he resigned from his post just two days prior to the election.

Akram Sheikh said according to the law a government servant could not contest election unless there was a two-year gap from the time he retired and election time. The counsel said the PHC gave the verdict in favour of the accused despite the presence of evidence. The court after hearing the arguments of both sides disqualified the MPA elected from PK-88 Shangla.