ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) on Monday deseated PML-N MNA Iftikhar Cheema from NA-101 Gujranwala for concealing asset details in his nomination forms and directed re-election in his constituency. A three-member SC bench headed by Chief Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali and comprising Justice Sheikh Azmat Saaed and Justice Arif Hussain Khilji heard the petition filed by opponent candidate Ahmed Chattha. During the course of proceedings, plaintiff’s counsel Hamid Ali Shah alleged that the respondent had concealed details of his assets and bank statements while filing his nomination papers to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to contest the general election. The Election Tribunal had dismissed his client’s petition ignoring the actual facts. Defence lawyer Mubeen-ud-Din Qazi argued that his client did not hide anything. One of the accounts mentioned in the petition had been closed while the other one was for mosque’s funds, he added. He said Ifikhar Cheema had also gifted his Rawalpindi and Islamabad houses and by not showing the same in the nomination papers he had not committed any dishonesty. On this, the chief justice remarked that Iftikhar Cheema was not a common man. He remained MNA in the previous government as well and he should have revealed proper details of his assets and property, he added. It may be mentioned that Iftikhar Cheema had won from NA-101 in May 13, 2013 general elections by bagging 99,191 votes while his opponent Ahmed Chattha, son of Hamid Nasir Chattha, got 59,878 votes. Separately, the Supreme Court dismissed a petition seeking disqualification of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Member National Assembly (MNA) Aijaz Jakhrani over holding a fake degree and alleged rigging in general election. The three-member SC bench headed by Justice Mian Saqib Nisar and comprising Justice Iqbal Hameedur Rehman and Justice Tariq Pervaiz heard the case filed by PML-N candidate Ilahi Buksh Soomro against the verdict of the election tribunal. The tribunal had dismissed Soomro’s petition seeking Jakhrani’s disqualification for holding a fake degree and alleged widespread rigging during 2013 general election.