LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Wednesday suspended the schedule of by-election in NA-175, the constituency of former MNA Jamshed Dasti, and also the criminal proceedings against him by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on charges of possessing a fake degree.

A three-member full bench headed by Chief Justice Aalia Neelum heard a petition filed by Mr Dasti, challenging his disqualification by the ECP. The full bench comprises Justice Hassan Nawaz Makhdoom and Justice Khalid Ishaq.

Dasti appeared in the court along with his counsel Ishtiaq A Khan and sought a stay order against the ECP`s decision and the by-poll.

The bench issued a notice to the attorney general of Pakistan for assistance in the case and also sought a reply from the ECP.

The bench also restrained the commission from taking coercive action against the petitioner until further orders. The next hearing will be fixed after the summer vacations of the court.

Earlier, Dasti had challenged the ECP`s decision against his disqualification before a LHC single bench at Multan. The bench referred the matter to the chief justice, recommending that a full bench should be constituted to hear the case.

The ECP had disqualified Mr Dasti for possessing a fake intermediate degree. He was elected as an independent member of the National Assembly from NA-175, Muzaffargarh.

The commission had declared that Mr Dasti, by submitting a fake degree, committed an offence punishable under the Election Act 2017.

Speaking to the media after the hearing, Dasti said he had been elected as MNA five times and the allegations against him were baseless. He said the NA speaker should have summoned him to hear his point of view.