PESHAWAR - Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders and ex-federal minister Murad Saeed has been deemed qualified for the forthcoming Senate election, as per the verdict of Judge Shakeel Ahmed of the Appellate Tribunal convened in the Peshawar High Court. The judge approved the appeal of Saeed, paving the way for Saeed’s path for his participation in the Senate election. The ruling follows a successful appeal by former senator Azam Khan Swati, who also gained eligibility for the Senate election on a general seat after initially being declared ineligible by the returning officers (ROs).
Both Swati and Saeed pursued recourse through the Appellate Tribunal to challenge their disqualification. Alongside Saeed’s victory, the tribunal rejected appeals contesting the acceptance of nomination papers for candidates Dilawar Khan, Rubina Khalid, Fida Muhammad, and Azhar Mashwani. Meanwhile, the Peshawar High Court (PHC) released a comprehensive verdict on the petitions filed by the Sunni Ittehad Council concerning the allocation of reserved seats in parliament, with a larger bench comprising five members. The court upheld the Election Commission’s decision, affirming that the Council is not eligible for reserved seats designated for women and minorities. Justice SM Ateeq Shah authored the 30-page verdict. Also, PTI leader Azam Swati expressed concerns regarding the court’s ruling on reserved parliamentary seats and reiterated PTI’s position on the matter. He stated that they intend to pursue legal action by submitting an application to the Supreme Court in the upcoming days.
