LAHORE - Another full bench of the Lahore High Court constituted for hearing of petitions against candidature of Begum Kalsoom Nawaz for NA-120 by-election was dissolved on Wednesday after one of its members refused to hear the case for personal reasons.

Justice Shams Mahmood Mirza, one of the members of full bench, said he did not want to hear the case for personal reasons. Justice Aminuddin Khan was the head of the bench while Justice Ibadur Rehman Lodhi was the other member.

Last week, a full bench was dissolved when its head Justice Muhammad Farrukh Irfan Khan declined hearing of the case for personal reasons.

PPP’s Faisal Mir, PAT’s counsel Ishtiaq Chaudhry and MML had challenged the candidature of Begum Kalsoom Nawaz for NA-120 by-election.

The by-election is due on Sept 17.

The petitioners had submitted through their counsels that the returning officer and the election tribunal set aside objections against the candidature of Ms Nawaz and accepted her nomination papers. They pleaded that neither RO nor the tribunal looked into the details of the objections regarding concealment of assets by the PML-N candidate. They alleged that the declaration filed by Ms Nawaz regarding assets were entirely false and misleading.

The petitioners prayed the court to set aside the decisions of RO and the election tribunal and reject the nomination papers of Kalsoom Nawaz for the by-poll in NA-120.

PBC’S STRIKE CALL

Pakistan Bar Council has announced to hold countrywide strike to contemn killings of Rohingya Muslims. According to a press release issued yesterday evening, PBC Vice Chairman Muhammad Ahsan Bhoon and its Executive Committee’s Chairman Hafeez-ur-Rehman Chaudhry strongly condemned the persecution of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar.

Expressing their deep concern over reports of rapidly increasing number of deaths of Rohingya Muslims and their forced displacements as by now over 1,25,000, Rohingya Muslims have crossed the border into Bangladesh, they urged upon the government of Myanmar to immediately stop massacre of Muslims and to ensure by all means the protection of the Muslim minority.

The plight of Rohingya Muslims was a challenge to conscious of the international community specially those who claim to be champions of human rights and protection of minorities, it said.

Deploring inaction of the government of Pakistan in playing its due practical role, they demanded for taking immediate practical steps by it at International level for building pressure upon Myanmar to stop genocide of Muslims and to ensure their legitimate right to life and peaceful living.