SHARIF-UD-DIN vs ABDUL GANI LONE

The Supreme Court held that Section 89(3) of the Jammu & Kashmir Representation of the People Act, 1957 mandates that every copy of an election petition must be attested by the petitioner under their own signature, and not by their counsel. The Court emphasized that this requirement is mandatory, and failure to comply results in dismissal of the petition as per Section 94(1) of the Act. The purpose of this provision is to ensure the petitioner takes full responsibility for the petition's contents and to prevent unauthorized alterations.