ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Thursday rejected the nomination of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Pervaiz Rashid for Senate.
On Wednesday, a petition submitted by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) MPA Zainab Umair to the governing body, contending that Rashid was a defaulter of the Punjab House, Islamabad, and owed in excess of Rs7 million to the Punjab government.
Later in the day, a returning officer informed Rashid his nomination would be accepted only after he cleared the dues.
However, when he failed to make the payment within a time frame, the returning officer on Thursday accepted the objection to his nomination.
In December 2018, the Punjab government had released a list of 76 politicians, bureaucrats and others for defaulting on the payment for their stay and meals at Punjab House during the tenure of the PML-N government.
Per the list, Rashid owed Rs7.05 million, including Rs0.69 million charges for his stay between January and August 2011 and Rs6.4 million from June 2013 to May 2018.
His daughter, Poonam Rashid, also owed Rs2.7 million.
RASHID CRIES FOUL:
Speaking to the media in Lahore, the former minister claimed the move was an “engineered attempt” to keep him from contesting Senate elections.
“A so-called demand was created about which I was not informed. When I tried to make the payment, all government officials disappeared from their seats and offices,” he claimed.
“They are not giving their bank account number nor are they taking cash,” he said.
He further claimed Prime Minister Imran Khan had directed the concerned officials to not accept the payment so that he [Rashid] could be stopped from contesting the polls.
He maintained that it was his legal right to appeal the ECP’s decision. “You can close the doors of parliament for me but you cannot silence my voice,” he said.
