- Four days to go for deciding appeals of candidates against rejections, acceptance of nominations
LAHORE/KARACHI/ISLAMABAD: With four more days to go for deciding appeals of candidates against rejections or acceptance of nomination papers by the returning officers, appellate tribunals on Saturday decided more appeals and many candidates were allowed to contest elections.
An election tribunal in Multan rejected appeal of PTI leader Shah Mahmood Qureshi to contest election from NA-150, 151 and two provincial assembly constituencies PP-218, 219. The former foreign minister had filed appeal against RO’s decision. Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar announced the decision. However, Zain Qureshi and Mehr Bano Qureshi were allowed to vie for polls from PP 219.
Fawad Chaudhry’s wife Hiba Chaudhry was declared ineligible by a tribunal to contest election for provincial assembly seat.
The Election tribunal accepted appeals of PTI’s Malik Niaz Ahmad Jhakar was granted permission to vie for election from NA 182 (Layyah). Similarly, PTI candidate from PS 113 Hasnain Chohan was also cleared by election tribunal to run election. Pakistan People’s Party candidate Rauf Ahmad’s appeal against RO decision to reject nomination paper was adopted by the election tribunal.
Independent candidates Rafiya Hassan (PS 126), Jamaluddin, Deedar Ali’s appeal were also accepted by tribunals and they were allowed to contest elections scheduled for Feb 8. PTI candidate from Haala, Makhdoom Fazal was given go ahead by the tribunal to vie for election.
A tribunal, while declaring RO’s decision null and void, allowed Fiza Zeeshan to contest election from NA-237. Appellate Tribunal Judge Adnanul Karim Memon expressed his anger over the ability of returning officers. The judge while passing remarks said,” Are the candidates being deliberately barred from contesting polls. It seems the returning officer rejected nomination papers in bulk as a matter of fun.”
Nominations of Asad Qaiser, Taimur Jhagra, several other PTI candidates cleared
The Peshawar High Court’s election tribunals accepted the nomination papers of several PTI candidates including Asad Qaiser and Taimur Saleem Jhagra on Saturday.
Election tribunal comprising Justice Shakil Ahmad accepted former National Assembly speaker Asad Qaiser’s papers from NA 19 Swabi-II. The tribunal also accepted the appeals of former PTI finance minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Taimur Saleem Jhagra and former MNA Sher Ali Arbab.
The tribunal also accepted the appeal of PTI Hangu President Yusuf Khan from NA 36 Hangu.
Pindi tribunal accepts appeals of all the candidates of PTI
In Rawalpindi, the head of the election tribunal, Justice Mirza Waqas Rauf accepted the appeals of all the candidates of PTI including former deputy speaker Punjab Assembly Wasiq Qayyum Abbasi, Maj (r) Tahir Sadiq, his wife Naz Sadiq, former law minister Basharat Raja from PP-15, Col (r) Ajmal Sabir, Murtaza Satti, Tariq Murtaza, Seemabiya Tahir, and former minister Raja Rashid Hafeez.
The tribunal allowed them to contest the elections.
Moreover, the election tribunal in Rawalpindi accepted the papers of Fauzia Bahram from Constituency PP 23 Chakwal, and allowed her to contest the election.
Only four days are left for appeals decisions. All decisions will be announced by January 10.
In Attock, nomination papers of four family members belonging to the PTI have been accepted.
The tribunal accepted the nomination papers of PTI candidate Maj (r) Tahir Sadiq from NA-49 Attock 1, his daughter Iman Tahir from NA-50 Attock-II, his wife Naz Tahir from PP-2 Attock, and his son Zain Elahi from PP 3.
SHC election tribunal approves appeals of most candidates
The Sindh High Court election tribunal approved appeals of most of the candidates against the objections raised by the returning officers.
The tribunal comprising Justice Adnanul Karim Memon approved appeal of the PTI’s Subhan Ali Sahil from NA-243 Karachi and Amjad Afridi from NA-242 constituency.
The SHC tribunal also granted appeal of the PTI’s Hasnain Chohan against returning officer’s decision from PS-113 and PPP’s Rauf Ahmed.
The tribunal allowed independent candidate Rafia Hassan to contest election from PS-126 and approved nomination papers of independent candidates Jamaluddin and Deedar Ali.
Justice Adnanul Karim also granted appeal of Makhdoom Fazal, the PTI’s candidate from Hala.
“Why the candidates being restricted from contesting elections,” Justice Memon said in his harsh remarks against returning officers. “It seems the ROs have rejected nomination papers only for the sake of fun,” the Judge remarked. “A candidate could not be restrained from contesting election owing to cases against him,” he observed.
“When those holding telescopes could not indicate facts, how could we,” he questioned. “Go and get prepare for elections,” Justice Adnanul Karim said in his interaction with candidates and their lawyers. “How could you contest collection when having no money to pay taxes,” in a dialogue with a candidate the judge said. “I am a fisherman, the community will help me,” he replied. “Everyone has to help himself, go, it is your right to contest election,” the judge added.
