ISLAMABAD - Even before taking oath of their office, the newly elected Senators from NWFP on Monday found themselves in the midst of a legal controversy when Islamabad High Court summoned them today (Tuesday) in connection with a challenge to their unopposed election. The challenge to the unopposed Senate election from North West Frontier Province (NWFP) has been posed by Sardar Tanvir Ilyas Khan who was a candidate for the Upper House from the Frontier but his nomination papers were turned down by the Election Commission. Tanvir says Election Commission removed his name from the list of candidates with no legal explanation but with a mala fide intention to ensure the unopposed contest. After hearing the plea, a division bench of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) comprising Justice Mohammad Munir Peracha and Justice Syed Qalb-e-Hassan issued notice to the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) on the matter. Senate elections are scheduled to be held in the first week of the coming March but majority of the vacant seats have been filled unopposed after an understanding among all the political parties having representation in the National and Provincial Assemblies. Earlier yesterday, while agitating the grievance of petitioner Sardar Tanvir, his counsel, Advocate Wasim Sajjad told the court that his client who belonged to Pakistan Muslim League-Q, filed nomination papers on general seats from NWFP for the Senate election scheduled to be held early next month. However, an objection was raised against Sardar Tanvir that he was neither a citizen of Pakistan nor a resident of NWFP, being an inhabitant of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK). The objection was however withdrawn when it was established before the Returning Officer that the name of Sardar Tanvir Ilyas Khan was registered in the voters list at Halqa Jhangi, Tehsil and District Abbottabad, NWFP. Wasim Sajjad also contended that the Returning Officer concerned did not mention the fact in his order while disposing of the objection. Afterwards, the matter was referred to the Provincial Election Commissioner where the objection was again dismissed as withdrawn on February 19. However, only one day after the hearing Sardar Tanvir received a notice from the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) asking him to appear in person. When he appeared before the CEC, Tanvir was informed that objections were again raised against his candidature with the contention that his vote at Abbottabad was bogus, thus his nomination papers were rejected. The counsel for Sardar Tanvir however contended that the CEC had no authority to reject the nomination papers of his client as once the nomination papers of a candidate for Senate candidate were accepted by the Returning Officer under Section 13 of the Senate (Election) Act, 1975, it was final under the law and could not be brought under question. Wasim Sajjad further argued that under Section 6 of the Electoral Roll of the Senate (Election) Act 1975, it was the right of every citizen to get himself or herself registered from any part of the country. The counsel termed the rejection of Tanvir's nomination papers as illegal, arbitrary, mala fide and without lawful authority. After hearing the issue, the division bench issued notices to CEC, Returning Officer NWFP as well as all the unopposed elected Senators of NWFP to appear before the court today (Tuesday). The unopposed Senators elected from NWFP are Ghulam Ali, Waqar Ahmed Khan, Gulzar Ahmed Khan, Haji Adeel, Abdul Nabi Bangash and Zahid Khan.