ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Thursday rejected the objection raised by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on the nomination of former prime minister and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Yousaf Raza Gillani for Senate and accepted his papers for the March 3 elections.
Returning Officer (RO) Zafar Iqbal announced the verdict reserved earlier after both sides completed their arguments.
The verdict observed while Gillani was convicted — in 2012 — under Article 63(1)(g) of the Constitution and “a period of five years has elapsed since his conviction”, he “stands qualified” for contesting election to the Senate from Islamabad.
“All the cases against the candidate are pending adjudication and in the absence of conviction, the candidate cannot be barred from contesting the election,” it read.
“Keeping these facts in view, the nomination papers Gillani are hereby accepted,” it added.
The PPP has fielded Gillani, originally from Multan, from Islamabad as a joint candidate of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), the 10-party opposition alliance seeking to oust the government.
On Tuesday, Fareed Rehman, a PTI Senate hopeful from Islamabad, accused Gillani of concealing the facts in the papers. Gillani, he said, failed to mention his conviction in a contempt of court case back in 2012.
His petition noted that Gillani doesn’t fulfill the requirements of Article-62 of the Constitution.
