PESHAWAR: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader and former federal minister Murad Saeed was allowed to contest the Senate election and the Peshawar High Court’s Election Appellate Tribunal issued its written verdict on Saturday.
According to the verdict, the Appellate Tribunal rejected all the eight objections raised against the PTI leader. The tribunal, in its verdict, said the signatures of the attester and endorser on the papers were genuine.
It said that Murad Saeed had deposited the penalty amount imposed by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).
In the written ruling, the tribunal said that absconders had the right to contest the elections. “Papers cannot be rejected on the basis of absconding. The tribunal said Murad Saeed had also revealed his assets, besides documents submitted by the candidate through power of attorney were also correct.
Earlier on Monday, the Appellate Tribunal of the Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Monday allowed PTI leaders – Murad Saeed, Khurram Zeeshan and Azam Swati to contest Senate elections.
The PTI leaders had challenged the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) decision on rejection of their papers for various reasons.
The tribunal comprising Justice Shakeel Ahmed announced the verdict it had reserved earlier and overturned the initial rejection of their nomination papers for the upcoming Senate election scheduled for April 2.
Murad Saeed and Khurram Zeeshan have been cleared for election on general seats, while Swati will contest on the technocrat seat.
Last week, the Appellate Tribunal of Lahore High Court (LHC) reversed the ECP’s decision to reject PTI worker Sanam Javed’s nomination and allowed her to contest the Senate polls.
LHC Justice Shahid Bilal Hasan of the tribunal pronounced a reserved verdict that was reserved on Thursday after the completion of arguments from both sides.
The electoral watchdog has already appointed returning officers and polling officers for the forthcoming elections on 48 seats of the Senate.
As per the ECP, in all the provinces elections will be held for seven general seats, two women seats and two technocrat seats. Apart from this, there will be an election for one minority seat from Punjab and one minority seat from Sindh while one general and one technocrat seat from Islamabad.
The ECP has further informed that relevant Provincial Election Commissioners have been appointed as Returning Officers for the Senate elections in all four provinces.
For Islamabad, the director general, training, ECP, has been appointed as the Returning Officer.
Twelve Senators each will be elected from Sindh and Punjab and two from Islamabad, while 11 Senators each will be elected from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.
