ISLAMABAD: As the election process advanced to the appellate stage, objections against the acceptance of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif’s nomination papers were filed while dozens of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) candidates moved the election tribunals against the rejection of their nomination papers.
Ishtiaq Chaudhry, the chief of Pakistan Awami Mahaz (PAM), has challenged the acceptance of Nawaz Sharif’s nomination papers in the appellate tribunal. He argues that Nawaz Sharif, having been disqualified for life by the Supreme Court, is ineligible to contest the elections.
The process of appellate tribunals, comprising high court judges, has commenced the acceptance of appeals against the approval or rejection of nomination papers for both national and provincial assembly seats.
Confirming this turn of events, a spokesperson for the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) acknowledged that several PTI candidates have indeed submitted appeals to the tribunals.
According to ECP data, over 3,000 nomination papers were rejected out of a total of 25,951 nominations filed across the country, with a majority of the rejected nominations belong to PTI candidates. According to ECP data, 22,711 nomination papers were approved, while 1,024 for National Assembly seats and 2,216 for provincial assemblies faced rejection.
In Karachi, a tribunal situated at the Sindh High Court issued notices pertaining to an appeal against the rejection of the nomination papers of PTI leader Firdous Shamim Naqvi.
Tribunal judge, Justice Arshad Hussain refused to hear the appeal, which was later taken up by Justice Khadim Hussain Tunio. Naqvi had challenged the decision of the RO for NA-236. The tribunal sought replies from the respondents.
Justice Tunio also took up the appeal against the rejection of the nomination papers of an independent candidate, Mazhar Junejo, from PS-86. The tribunal issued notices to the ECP, the RO concerned for January 4.
Key figures within the PTI, including Dr Masroor Sial, Khurram Sher Zaman, Aftab Jahangir, Attaullah, Saeed Afridi, and Haleem Adil Shaikh, have filed appeals against the rejection of their nomination papers in various constituencies across Karachi.
On December 26, the Returning Officer (RO) for NA-130 Lahore accepted Nawaz Sharif’s nomination papers following a thorough scrutiny process. However, Ishtiaq Chaudhry contests this decision, alleging that the RO approved Nawaz’s nomination papers against factual evidence. As a result, Chaudhry has petitioned for Nawaz Sharif to be declared ineligible, urging the rejection of his nomination papers.
The legal proceedings against high-profile figures underscore the intensity of the electoral process and the strict adherence to legal norms.
Additionally, in Punjab, former minister and PTI ally Sheikh Rashid expressed his intent to challenge the returning officer’s decision to reject his nomination papers. Sheikh Rashid vehemently refuted allegations of being a defaulter, emphasizing that he had no outstanding financial obligations.
Meanwhile, in the federal capital Islamabad, Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir at the Islamabad High Court has scheduled an appeal against the rejection of PTI’s Shoaib Shaheen’s nomination papers for a hearing on the following day. Shaheen’s appeal contends that despite submitting nomination papers for all three National Assembly constituencies in Islamabad, the returning officer rejected his papers for all three, warranting a review by the appellate tribunal.
In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, PTI candidates from various districts, including Mujahid Khan, Zahir Toru, Aftab Alam, Yousuf Khan, Abu Tarab, Abdul Salam Afridi, Iftikhar Mashwani, and Ameer Farzand, have challenged rejection of their nomination papers. This widespread legal contestation underscores the stakes involved in ensuring a fair and transparent electoral process.
Similarly, senior PTI leader Shah Mahmood Qureshi and his son Zain Qureshi challenged the decision of the RO for NA-214 Tharparkar, rejecting their nomination papers. Also, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) candidate for NA-241 Mirza Akhtar Baig also filed appeal against the rejection of his papers.
