ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court ordered on Tuesday that PTI candidate Hamid Khan, who lost the 2013 general elections from NA-125 Lahore constituency, to deposit the expenses for verifying thumb impressions by Nadra.

In case Mr Khan fails to submit the amount within the stipulated time, the Supreme Court will recall its Jan 26 order in which Nadra was asked to verify the thumb impressions on the ballot paper counterfoils used to cast votes in NA-125, said an order dictated by Chief Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali.

`We have no other way out,` the chief justice observed.

He made it clear in Tuesday`s order that the appeal will be fixed after four weeks and the dispute between the two candidates will be decided on merit.

The Supreme Court is hearing the appeal of PML-N`s sitting railways minister, Khawaja Saad Rafique, who had asked the court to set aside the May 4, 2015, cancellation of his election victory by an election tribunal.

On Tuesday, the court took up the Feb 15 application of Mr Khan seeking a direction that the cost of verification of thumb impressions be borne by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

During the hearing, Mr Khan, who argued the case himself instead of his counsel, Ahmed Awais, said he could bear the transportation costs that amounted to Rs200,000 but could not afford the verification cost which would run into millions. `This is too much of a burden,` Mr Khan argued.

He said that in June 2014, he had deposited Rs500,000 but the report that came in response was vague and was not even given much significance by the election tribunal. Khawaja Haris, who represents Khawaja Rafique, later told journalists that the dispute will be decided on the basis of available evidence if the respondent, Hamid Khan, failed to deposit the amount.