LAHORE - Pakistan People’s Party and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf on Saturday challenged candidature of PML-N’s Begum Kalsoom Nawaz for NA-120 by-election.

Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) had already filed appeal before election tribunal against acceptance of nomination papers of Begum Kalsoom Nawaz.

PPP’s Faisal Mir and PTI’s Dr Yasmin Rashid and Andleeb Abbasi filed appeals against her. The appellants, through their appeals, submitted that returning officer rejected their objections against Kalsoom Nawaz and allowed her to contest election. Begum Kalsoom concealed facts about her financial resources, wealth and agriculture income tax as well as withdrawal of salary from UAE-based company and her Iqama (working permit), they said.

They also said that her statement about her income tax details was incorrect because income tax return for year 2014 submitted by her did not show any salary as deputy chairman of the FZE Company. The appellant said joint investigation team made by the Supreme Court in Panama Papers case had detected her salary from the company. The respondent candidate also did not show, in her nomination papers, the details about offshore assets and companies owned by her spouse Nawaz Sharif. During process of scrutiny she also did not appear personally before the returning officer, they said.

They also questioned the registration of PML-N saying that the party was registered in the name of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and he had been disqualified by the apex court.

Therefore, they submitted, nobody could contest election on its ticket. The respondent lady also did not fulfill requirements of Article 62 of the Constitution, they said adding that “she also lacked requirements of Representation of People’s Act, 1976 to contest by-election of NA-120.

The appellants prayed the tribunal to set aside decision of the returning officer and reject nomination papers of Kalsoom Nawaz for by-election in the said constituency.

A two-member election tribunal comprising Justice Mamoon Rashid Sheikh and Justice Shahid Waheed of the Lahore High Court would hear appeals on Aug 21 (tomorrow).