LAHORE: An election tribunal on Monday sought arguments on the maintainability of election petitions by former chief minister Parvez Elahi and his wife Qaisera Elahi challenging the results of Feb 8 polls in their respective constituencies in Gujrat.

The couple filed petitions challenging the results of NA-64 and PP-32 constituencies.

The petitions allege that the election commission altered the results from Form 45 to Form 47, leading to discrepancies.

Ms Elahi claimed she secured 172,000 votes in NA-64 against her nephew Salik Hussain, who also contested election from PP-32 for the provincial assembly seat.

However, according to the ECP results Mr Hussain of PML-Q bagged 105,205 votes and Ms Elahi obtained 80,946.

Similarly, Mr Elahi obtained 44713 votes in PP-32 against 55615 of Mr Hussain, who later relinquished the provincial assembly`s seat and took oath as member of the national assembly.

Both petitioners requested the tribunal to set aside the official notifications declaring their rivals as winners in both constituencies.

The tribunal comprising retired justice Mehboob Maqbool Bajwa directed the lawyers for the petitioners to present arguments on the maintainability of the petitions first.

The tribunal adjourned hearingtill Jan 13.

FIA: A special court (Central-I) on Monday summoned the wife of former federal minister Moonis Elahi in a money laundering case of the FIA.

Earlier, a lawyer for the family of PTI president Parvez Elahi filed an application, requesting the court to allow permanent exemption to the women suspects from personal appearance in the trial.

He alleged the FIA registered the case on political grounds and the women of Mr Elahi`s family were unnecessarily implicated. He also claimed that the FIA`s investigation had yet to establish any criminal evidence against the suspects.

Judge Salman Ghumman observed that the women suspects should appear for one or two initial hearings, after which the request for permanent exemption would be considered. He adjourned hearing till Jan 6 with a direction to Tehreem Elahi, the wife of Moonis, toappearinperson.

The FIA alleged that the sons and the daughters-in-law of former chief minister Elahi committed money laundering through a low cadre employee of the Punjab Assembly. It said the suspects used bank accounts of Qaiser Iqbal Bhatti, a peon of the assembly, to launder money.

The agency said unexplained transactions of millions of rupees hadbeentracedinthe accountsof the peon and the children of Elahi.

It alleged that the assets of the peon had been found beyond his known sources of income.