Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) on Monday allowed Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) candidate Bilal Azhar Kayani to contest upcoming general elections, secluded for July 25, from NA-66 Jhelum.

A three-member bench comprising Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar, Justice Umar Ata Bandia and Justice Ijazul Ahsan set aside the high court’s verdict, which had declared Bilal Azhar Kayani ineligible to contest the election.

Malik Qamar Afzal, counsel for Bial Azhar Kayani, told the court that his client had surrendered the dual nationality before submitting his nomination papers to contest elections.

To a query by Justice Ijazul Ahsan, the counsel stated that his client had submitted an application for surrendering dual nationality. He requested the court to allow his client to contest the election.

The chief justice noted that the matter pertaining to giving up dual nationality and receiving of its certificate would be determined in the judgement.

He said success in election would be conditional to the court’s decision. He said the final notification of Kayani would be issued as per the Supreme Court’s verdict.

The returning officer had rejected the nomination papers of Azhar Bilal Kayani, who is the son of Rawalpindi Institute of Cardiology’s head Maj Gen (r) Dr Azhar Mahmood Kayani, for having dual nationality. Later, and election tribunal had also upheld the decision of the returning officer.

Published in Daily Times, July 3^rd 2018.