Islamabad: The Supreme Court (SC) allowed Balochistan National Party (BNP) chief Akhtar Mengal to participate in the election.

A three-member bench headed by Chief Justice Qazi Faiz Isa heard the appeal against approval of the nomination papers of Akhtar Mengal, in which advocate Sultan Ahmed appeared in court on behalf of the objector.

During the hearing, the court said that Yasir Ahmed filed an appeal against the approval of Akhtar Mengal’s nomination papers; the Returning Officer (RO) rejected the nomination papers of Akhtar Mengal; the Election Tribunal rejected the decision of the RO and accepted the nomination papers; but the High Court upheld the decision of the Election Tribunal; Akhtar Mengal is a candidate in the February 8 general elections; the court rejects the appeal against the approval of Akhtar Mengal’s nomination papers.

The court said that the Supreme Court refrains from interfering in cases related to the facts of the election matter.

The SC dismissed the appeal against the HC decision and allowed BNP chief Akhtar Mengal to contest in the general elections.