ISLAMABAD/KARACHI/LAHORE - The nomination papers of several top politicians and party chiefs including PTI Chairman Imran Khan, former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, APML chief Pervez Musharraf and MQM-P leader Dr Farooq Sattar were rejected on Tuesday by the returning officers for some constituencies.
The prospective candidates have the right to appeal against the decisions before the appellate tribunals.
Cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan’s papers were accepted in three assembly constituencies, but were rejected in two – one on technical grounds and the other for being incomplete.
The papers of some family members of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif – Maryam Nawaz, Shehbaz Sharif and Hamza Shehbaz – were accepted.
Pakistan People’s Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s nomination papers for two constituencies were accepted, and so were his father Asif Ali Zardari’s.
Former military ruler Gen Pervez Musharraf, who failed to return to Pakistan despite orders from the top court, will not be able to contest the election as his nomination papers were rejected. Musharraf had filed nomination papers from Chitral.
All those candidates whose nomination papers have been rejected can file an appeal by June 22 and the appellate tribunals would decide the appeals by June 27.
Imran Khan’s nomination papers for NA-53 (Islamabad) and NA-95 (Mianwali) were rejected.
The returning officer for NA-53 constituency of Islamabad rejected nomination papers of Imran Khan, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and PML-N leader Sardar Mehtab Ahmed Khan. The RO also rejected the nomination papers of former Member National Assembly of PTI Ayesha Gulalai.
Imran Khan, Khaqan Abbasi and Gulalai failed to list important contributions they made in their former constituencies. Imran Khan left the entry under Clause N of the affidavit blank and thus failed to comply with the requirement of filing papers complete in all regards.
“The affidavit is not duly filled in the way it was required as per the spirit of the direction. So leaving me with no option but to presume the affidavit being incomplete in its filing,” Returning Officer Muhammad Adnan noted in his written order.
Former PM Abbasi, Ayesha Gulali and former Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governor Mehtab Ahmed Khan also failed to meet this requirement in the affidavit and met the same fate.
The RO said by leaving out this crucial information, the candidates deprived their voters in the constituency to inspect these details and raise objections if needed.
After the decision, PTI said they would challenge the RO’s decision based on a technicality before the appellate tribunal.
The objections by candidate of former CJP Iftikhar Chaudhry’s party Abdul Wahab Baloch that Imran Khan does not fulfill the criterion under Article 62 and 63 of the Constitution on Sitawhite issue, as well as those raised by Gulalai were overruled since both the objectors were not voters in the constituency.
“A candidate of a constituency if not a voter of that constituency cannot object to the candidature of any other candidate of that constituency,” the judge noted and dismissed the objections without considering their merits or demerits.
Separately, President District Bar Association Sargodha Ansar Abbas Baloch, talking to media persons, said Imran’s nomination papers had been rejected on the basis of giving incomplete information about his family and property. His original signatures were also not found on the nomination papers and the signatures did not match with that of CNIC’s.
Ansar Abbas Baloch had filed objections on behalf of an independent candidate Manzoor Khan in the court of returning officer Tariq Mehmood of NA-95 Mianwali.
He claimed Imran’s signatures on nomination papers were dubious and declared that Imran was present in Saudi Arabia to perform Umrah on the day of submission of that nomination papers and added the said signatures had no match as on his CNIC.
Returning officers in Lahore accepted nomination papers of Imran Khan for NA-131.
In Karachi, Imran’s nomination papers from NA-243 Karachi were accepted. Imran’s lawyer submitted the reply on the application that was filed by Abdull Wahab Baloch, who had challenged his nomination papers. The applicant pleaded to reject Khan’s nomination papers on grounds that the PTI chief had concealed his assets, assets of his two declared sons and also deliberately concealed existence of his alleged lovechild Tyrian Jade Khan-White. The RO rejected the application and accepted Imran’s nomination.
Imran was also allowed to contest polls by the returning officer from NA-35 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Bannu district.
Meanwhile, PTI’s Asad Umar and PML-N’s Anjum Aqeel Khan and PPP’s Raja Imran Ashraf’s papers were accepted for the capital’s NA-54 constituency in which a total of 39 candidates filed papers and candidature of 34 of them were accepted while the rest five were rejected.
PPP suffered a setback as nomination papers of their candidate Afzal Khokhar in the capital’s third constituency, NA-52, were rejected for being a bank defaulter. PTI’s Raja Khurram and PML-N’s Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry’s papers were accepted for the seat.
An RO rejected nomination papers of Muttahida Qaumi Movement–Pakistan (MQM-P) leader Farooq Sattar from NA-245 (Karachi) constituency.
Returning Officer Ahsan Khan said Sattar’s candidature for NA-245 had been rejected because he was an absconder in two cases and did not mention this in his nomination papers.
However, the MQM-P stalwart’s counsel remarked that his client was unaware of the two cases.
In his judgment, the RO said that Dr Sattar was among nine MQM leaders who were booked in Nov 2015 under Section 144 of the Pakistan Penal Code for harassing commuters.
The cases had been registered at the Soldier Bazaar Police Station in connection with an MQM rally, which was held to register protest against arrest of party workers as well as raids conducted by the Rangers at party offices.
Sattar had submitted nomination papers from three constituencies in Karachi — NA-241, 245 and 247.
However, Dr Sattar was allowed to contest election from two other Karachi constituencies – 241 and 247.
MQM Pakistan’s Nasreen Jalil, PTI Faisal Vawda and Nasir Jibran’s nomination papers were also accepted from NA 247.
Pak Sarzameen Party head Mustafa Kamal, Fauzia Kasuri and PTI leader Arif Alvi’s papers from NA-247 were also accepted. However, Muttahida Majlis–e–Amal’s (MMA) Asadullah Bhutto’s nomination papers from NA-242 were rejected on the grounds that he was a bank defaulter. Another PPP candidate from NA-244, Asad Alam Niazi’s nomination papers were also rejected.
The nomination papers of PML-N candidate Ahsan Iqbal and PTI’s Abrarul Haq for NA-78 (Narowal) were accepted. Papers of PML-N leader Nisar Cheema and PTI’s Muhammad Ahmad Chattha for NA-79 (Gujranwala) were also accepted.
Nomination papers of PML-N President Shehbaz Shahbaz Sharif were accepted for NA-132, PP-164 and PP-165 and those of Hamza Shehbaz for NA-124, NA-132 and PP-164.
Huge number of workers from both the mainstream political parties–the PTI and the PML-N–gathered at the Judicial Complex Lahore due to decision on candidatures of prominent leaders–Imran Khan, Shehbaz Sharif, Hamza Shehbaz, Maryan Nawaz and Abdul Aleem Khan.
On announcement of decision by RO, workers come out of the courtroom chanting slogans in favor of party leadership.
Shehbaz Sharif had submitted nomination papers from two constituencies including NA 249 (Karachi) and NA 250(Karachi). His counsel appeared before the RO and submitted that Shehbaz was in London wherein his sister-n-law Kalsoom Nawaz was under treatment. The RO accepted his nomination papers from both the constituencies.
The nomination papers of Pakistan’s former military ruler Pervez Musharraf for NA-1 (Chitral) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for the July 25 general elections were rejected by the returning officer on the ground that he was barred for life from contesting elections by the Peshawar High Court in 2013.
All Pakistan Muslim League (APML) chief Pervez Musharraf was also a candidate from NA 247 (Karachi). He was summoned by the RO to appear for the scrutiny of his nomination papers, but he withdrew his nomination papers through his counsel.
Pakistan People’s Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto’s nomination papers were accepted from different constituencies of Karachi.
Bilawal had submitted nomination papers from NA-246, PPP’s stronghold in Karachi. His lawyer Farooq H Nayek appeared before the RO wherein his nomination papers were accepted.
Bilawal was also allowed to contest election from NA-8 Malakand by the RO after scrutiny.
ROs, in Lahore, accepted nomination papers of PML-N leader Maryam Nawaz for PP-173. Nomination papers of daughter of former prime minister have already been accepted for NA-125 and NA-127 (Lahore).
ROs accepted nomination papers of PTI’s Abdul Aleem Khan for NA-129, NA-131 and PP-148 and his covering candidate Kiran Aleem for PP-148.
ROs accepted nomination papers of PTI’s Mehar Wajid Azeem and PML-N’s Malik Riaz for NA-123.
PTI’s Atif Chaudhry argued that he contested last general election after surrendering British nationality. He said that the FIA has submitted six year old record. On submitting affidavit regarding surrendering the British nationality, the RO accepted nomination papers of Atif Chaudhry for NA-127.
ROs also accepted nomination papers of PTI’s Mian Mehmoodur Rasheed, PML-N’s Hafiz Muhammad Numan, Afzal Hussain Naqvi, Tauseef Hussain Shah and Mufti Ehsan-ul-Haq for PP-160, Talib Hussain Sidhu, Yousaf Ali and Tahir Majeed for PP-164, Ajasam Sharif, Bao Akhtar, Raheela Khadim Hussain, Chaudhry Shehbaz and Fayyaz Virk for PP-148 and Nisar Gujjar for PP-167 and PP-170.
ROs rejected nomination papers of Muhammad Akram Usman, Seleman Iqbal Sehgal, Muhammad Asif and Anis Ali Hashmi for PP-148.
The nomination papers of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Fazlur Rehman were accepted by the RO for NA-38 in Dera Ismail Khan.
Awami Muslim League (AML) chief Sheikh Rashid’s papers were accepted after scrutiny by the RO for Rawalpindi’s NA-60 and NA-62 constituencies.
In Multan, papers of former prime minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani, former foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, veteran politician Makhdoom Javed Hashmi and many others were approved by the returning officers on Tuesday.
The papers of Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani were approved for NA-158 Shujabad. Similarly, the nomination papers of PML-N veteran Makhdoom Javed Hashmi, former federal minister Syed Javed Ali Shah and PTI candidate Ibrahim Khan have also been approved for the same constituency. Hashmi’s papers for NA-155 have also been okayed.
The papers of PTI Vice Chairman Makhdoom Shah Mehmood Qureshi have been approved for NA-156 and PP-217 while the papers of candidate for PML-N ticket for NA-156 Rana Shahidul Hassan, who is younger brother of Senator Rana Mehmoodul Hassan, have also been accepted.
The returning officers okayed the papers of PTI candidate for NA-155 Malik Aamir Dogar, NA-154 Ahmad Hassan Dehar and PML-N candidate Shahzad Maqbool Bhutta for the same constituency.
A total of 404 candidates for six National and 13 Provincial constituencies of Multan district had submitted nomination papers.
The ECP sources said that after the scrutiny process, the appeals against rejection or acceptance of papers would be filed till June 22 while the appellate tribunals would decide these appeals till June 27. The amended lists of the candidates will be displayed on June 28 while the candidates will be allowed to withdraw their nomination papers on June 29. The allotment of electoral signs will also take place on June 30.
Meanwhile, with the conclusion of scrutiny of candidates intending to contest general elections to be held on July 25, the Election Commission of Pakistan on Tuesday announced the establishment of twenty-one Appellate Tribunals to dispose of appeals filed against the Returning Officers’ decisions.
The ECP notified the Tribunals on the orders of Chief Election Commissioner Justice (retd) Sardar Muhammad Raza established on the recommendation of chief justices of the high courts.
Five tribunals have been established in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). Justice Syed Afsar Shah, Justice Musarrat Hilali, Justice Lal Jan Khattak, Justice Mohammad Ghazanfar, Justice Abdul Shakoor and Justice Ijaz Anwar will be presiding over the trials in the province from Peshawar, Abbottabad, Mingora, Bannu and Dera Ismail Khan. Four out of the five tribunals are single bench.
In Punjab, Justice Syed Shahbaz Ali Rizvi, Justice Faisal Zaman Khan, Justice Ali Akbar Qureshi and Justice Tariq Saleem Sheikh will form the tribunal for Lahore. Justice Masood Abid Naqvi will preside over the Bhawalpur bench, Justice Qazi Mohammad Amin Ahmed and Justice Mirza Viqas will be presiding over Multan bench and Justice Ibadur Rehman will hear cases in Rawalpindi.
Two tribunals will be set up in Sindh and one in Balochistan. Justice Mohammad Karim Khan Agha, Justice Yousaf Ali Sayeed and Justice Syed Hassan Azhar Rizvi will be presiding over the principal seat in Karachi. Justice Fahim Siddiqui will hear cases at the Sukkur bench. Justice Mohammad Hashim Khan Kakkar and Justice Muhammad Ejaz Swati will hold trials at the principal seat in Quetta.
One tribunal will be established in Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) to be headed by Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani judge of Islamabad of High Court.
Several political bigwigs face nomination hassles
