Ex-Pak PM Abbasi gets High Court nod to contest election from Rawalpindi

Pakistan's former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi was today cleared by a high court to run for the July 25 general election from Rawalpindi, days after he was disqualified for life by a tribunal.

Abbasi was on June 27 disqualified by the Punjab Election Appellate Tribunal for "not fully revealing" his assets. He had challenged the order in the Lahore High Court (LHC).

A two-judge LHC bench headed by Justice Mazahir Ali Akbar Naqvi heard the arguments and set aside the tribunal's decision of disqualifying the former prime minister, clearing the way for him to contest election from his native NA-57 (Rawalpindi-I) constituency.

Earlier, the single-judge tribunal accepted a plea that Abbasi had not fully declared his assets and was not "truthful and righteous" under the Constitution to contest elections or hold any office.

Abbasi is also contesting election from a seat in Islamabad and was already cleared to participate after initial objections.

Initially, election officials had rejected his nomination from Islamabad but accepted his bid from Rawalpindi.

The general elections are set to be held on July 25. At least 11,855 candidates are in the run for 849 general seats of national and provincial assemblies.