ISLAMABAD, MAR 09 (DNA) – A Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) candidate challenged on Friday the senate membership of Former Finance Minister Ishaq Dar by filing a petition in Supreme Court.

According to local media reports, PPP candidate Nawaz Pirzada filed the petition, challenging Dar’s Senate membership. In his petition, Pirzada requested the court to suspend Lahore High Court’s (LHC) order that allowed Dar to contest for the Senate election.

The PPP candidate stated in his petition that Dar had been declared as a proclaimed offender by an accountability court and therefore, he could not be elected as a Senate member.

Senate elections were held on March 3, in which Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) leader Dar had won a technocrat seat. In total the PML-N has won 15 seats.

Before the elections, Dar’s nomination papers were rejected by Election Commission of Pakistan, after a petition was filed against him. However, the LHC later on allowed Dar to contest the Senate elections.

Dar has been absconding his corruption hearing since last year and is currently in London for his treatment. The National Accountability Bureau has filed corruption reference against Dar for owing assets beyond his known source of income, after the Panama Papers revelation.