Three petitions, one of which challenged the acceptance of Federal Water Resources Minister Faisal Vawda's nominations for the upcoming Senate polls, have been filed with an election tribunal constituted by the Sindh High Court (SHC).
The tribunal, formed to hear petitions challenging the rejection and acceptance of nomination papers by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for the Senate polls, was set up on Saturday.
Plea terms Vawda 'ineligible'
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leader Advocate Qadir Khan Mandokel has filed a petition challenging the acceptance of Vawda's nomination papers with the tribunal.
He has maintained in the petition that the minister is "ineligible" to contest the election.
According to the petition, Vawda has concealed that he holds American nationality, and the returning officer (RO) at the ECP had refused to hear objections on his nomination.
Terming the behaviour of the RO "unconstitutional", the Mandokhel contends that Vawda is ineligible to be appointed on the post of a public representative as he kept his dual citizenship hidden.
The plea moves the tribunal to declare Vawda ineligible for contesting the election and order the ECP to reject his nomination papers.
Earlier on Thursday, Mandokhel, Nehal Hashmi and other PML-N leaders and supporters, had censured the ECP for what they called its "dual standards," after the body accepted Vawda's nomination papers.
Protesting outside the ECP's office in Karachi, where Vawda had arrived for the scrutiny of his papers, Mandokhel others had shouted slogans when they were denied entry to the office.
They said that they had objections to Vawda's papers and claimed that he was still in possession of dual citizenship. They had warned of approaching the SHC against the approval of Vawda's papers.
Speaking to the media outside the ECP office, the PML-N leaders had alleged that ECP officials had adopted a "dictatorial attitude" by not hearing their objections.
Rejection contested
Apart from Mandokhel, Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan leader Khizer Askari Zaidi has filed a petition seeking the approval of his nomination papers.
Zaidi, who intended to contest for the seats reserved for technocrats, has maintained in the petition that his papers were not properly scrutinised and verified.
He has moved the tribunal to direct the ECP to properly verify his papers and approve his nomination for the Senate election.
Approval challenged
Besides, Aqib Rajpar, Khalilur Rehman Ansari and Advocate Haseebullah of the Sindh Indus Lawyers Forum have filed a petition challenging the approval of the nomination of Pakistan Peoples Party candidate Palwasha Zai Khan.
The petitioners have maintained that Khan, who has been cleared for the reserved seats for women, got her vote transferred from Punjab to Karachi overnight, in violation of Articles 220 and 226 of the Constitution.
Further stating that Khan is not a resident of Karachi, the petitioners have stated the Sindh ECP dismissed their objections without even hearing them.
Justice Agha Faisal will hear the petitions filed with the tribunal from Monday.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 21st, 2021.
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