SC allows Sanam Javed to contest general elections

ISLAMABAD, Jan 26 (APP):The Supreme Court on Friday allowed Sanam Javed to participate in general elections from NA-119, NA-120 and PP-150 Lahore while setting aside the Lahore High Court’s decision regarding the rejection of her nomination papers.
A three-member SC bench headed by Justice Munib Akhtar and comprising Justice Shahid Waheed and Justice Irfan Saadat Khan issued the verdict after hearing the appeal of Sanam Javed against the LHC’s decision.

The apex court, in its 2-page written order, said: “We have heard learned counsel for the petitioner as also the learned DG (Law) and learned DG (Political Finance).
“This leave petition is converted into an appeal and allowed. The impugned judgment of the learned High Court are set aside with the result that the nomination papers of the petitioner, now appellant, for NA-119 (Lahore), NA-120 and PP-150 are deemed accepted, and her name is deemed included in the final list of candidates for the General Elections of 2024.

“The name of the candidate and her election symbol must appear on the ballot papers used in and for the general election to the constituency aforementioned and the said election for this constituency must be held on 08.02.2024, as scheduled.

Earlier during the hearing, the court observed that a candidate could allocate a joint bank account for elections as there was no restriction in law in that regard.
The petitioner’s lawyer contended that on December 21, his client Sanam Javed gave an affidavit dated December 22 before the Oath Commissioner who confirmed her signature.
He said that the returning office rejected her nomination papers citing that no one met her in jail on December 22.
The lawyer said that his client never claimed that she had signed the document on December 22. The jail administration, in response to the RO’s letter, confirmed that no one held a meeting with Sanam Javed on December 22, and on that basis her documents were rejected, he added.
He further said that Sanam Javed mentioned a joint bank account with her father in the nomination papers. The RO objected that why a separate bank account was not allocated for election expenses.
Justice Shahid Waheed remarked that how the returning officer could conduct an inquiry into the matter himself.
The court subsequently approved the appeal of Sanam Javed and allowed her to contest the elections.