A division bench of Lahore High Court on Monday issued notice to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on a petition filed by Nasir Cheema of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), challenging his disqualification on accusation of violating the electoral code of conduct. The bench comprising Justice Aminuddin Khan and Justice Sajid Mahmood Sethi directed the ECP counsel to submit until today, (Tuesday) a written reply to the petition along with a copy of the impugned decision. PTI’s Nasir Cheema had filed his nomination papers for PP-53 Gujranwala. The ECP had disqualified him for using pictures of the chief justice of Pakistan and the army chief on his banners for the election campaign. He submitted that the ECP announced its electoral code on Saturday, whereas the banners having pictures of the chief justice and army chief were already in display during the month of April. He said that no complaint had been filed against the petitioner before the commission and pleaded that the impugned decision by the ECP had not referred to any law invoked for his disqualification. He requested to set aside the disqualification decision by the ECP and allow the petitioner to contest the upcoming general election. ECP’s counsel Imran Ranjha while opposing the petition said that the petitioner was disqualified for sheer violation of the electoral code of conduct. He said that the ECP lawfully exercised its powers by handing down the impugned decision. Published in Daily Times, July 17th 2018.