Appellate body allows contenders to contest polls

Cantonment boards had rejected nomination papers of several candidates

RAWALPINDI:

Rawalpindi District and Sessions Judge and Election Appellate Authority (EAA) Chaudhry Muhammad Tariq Javed on Thursday overturned the decision of cantonment board officials and allowed 10 candidates of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to take part in the local body elections of cantonments boards.

Murree, Rawalpindi and Chaklala cantonment boards had rejected nomination papers of the 10 candidates on frivolous technical errors. At least 20 candidates had filed review petitions challenging the board officials’ decision of barring them from contesting the polls.

The hearing of election petitions will continue till August 6 while appeals against the decision of returning officers can be filed till August 7. The decision on final appeals is slated to be announced by August 10.

The sessions judge accepted the election appeals of Muhammad Khalil Malik from Ward-I of Murree Cantt Board (MCB), Saleem Bhatti and Sohbat Khan from MCB Ward-II.

Read CEC apprised of Cantonment Board election concerns

Other candidates who were allowed to take part in the election are Humayun Shiraz, Muhammad Javed Qureshi from Ward-III of Rawalpindi Cantt Board (RCB), Sheikh Tahir Afzal from Ward-V of Chaklala Cantonment Board (CCB), Ehsan Ahmed, Raja Hamad Saghir from Ward-II of CCB, Chaudhry Azhar Iqbal and Muhammad Mukhtar from Ward-VIII.

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and the cantonment authorities have laid down strict conditions to run election campaigns in 42 cantonment boards across the country. Elections of cantonment boards on a party-basis would be held on September 12.

According to the rules, candidates cannot post pictures of central, provincial leaders and supporters of political parties on pamphlets, banners for their campaigns. The posters, pamphlets, banners of designated sizes can only have pictures of the candidate.

The prime minister, governor, chief ministers, federal and provincial ministers will not be allowed to visit any cantonment area, nor can they announce any development scheme during this period.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 6^th, 2021.