Several more move tribunals over papers rebuff

Several candidates whose nomination papers were rejected by the returning officers concerned because of various reasons challenged their decision in the appellate tribunals on Tuesday, while objections were filed against the acceptance of the nomination of former prime minister Shehbaz Sharif.
Those who moved the tribunals on the second day of filing appeals against ROs decisions of rejecting or accepting the nomination papers, included Awab Alvi, son of President Dr Arif Alvi, whose nomination papers for NA-241 were rejected.

Among other PTI candidates, while filed the appeals, included Alamgir Khan for NA-236, Arsalan Khalid for NA-248, Muzamil Aslam for NA-241, Subhan Sahil for NA-243, Amjad Iqbal Afridi for NA-242 and 243, and Sindh Assembly constituency of PS-111 and Arslan Brohi for NA-225 Thatta and P-75, 76.
Also PTI’s Hasnain Ali Chauhan moved the tribunal after his nomination papers were rejected for PS 113; while, Waheed Rind, a PTI candidate for PS-76, and Syed Amjad Shah for PS-75 Thatta also filed appeals in the tribunal.

Read  Acceptance of Shehbaz’s nomination papers challenged

Among others who moved the appellate tribunals included Fida Muhammad, an independent candidate for NA-234, Rah-e-Haq Party candidate for PS 88 Maulana Aurangzeb Farooqi, and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) candidate for NA-234 Ghulam Muhammad Banglani. Meanwhile, the appellate tribunal in the Sindh High Court (SHC) issued notices to the Election Commission of Pakistan, the returning officer concerned and others, on the appeal against the rejection of the nomination papers of Awami National Party (ANP) candidate for NA-235Shazia Marwat.

In Lahore, applicant Shahid Orakzai filed an appeal in the election tribunal, challenging the acceptance of the nomination papers of Shehbaz Sharif, alleging that “he has been identified as mastermind of alleged criminal attack on the Supreme Court in November 28, 1997”. He requested the election tribunal to reject the nomination papers of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) president and cancel the votes of his proposer and seconder for abetment of the attackers of the Supreme Court.

Read Dozens of PTI aspirants appeal against papers rejection

Also another appellate tribunal at the Islamabad High Court (IHC), comprising Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir, issued notices to the ECP on the appeal of PTI lawyer Shoaib Shaheen against the rejection of his nomination papers. A record number of candidates have filed the nomination papers for February 8 elections. During scrutiny of the papers last more than 21,000 papers were found in order, while over 3,000 papers were rejected for various reasons across the country.

This time around, nominations of almost all the senior religious party leaders were accepted by the ROs concerned. They included JUI-F chief Fazlur Rahman, his son Maulana Asad Mahmood, Zahid Durrani, Abdul Ghafoor Haidari, and others. Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Ameer Sirajul Haq, Naib Ameer Liaquat and General Secretary Ameerul-Azeem also cleared the scrutiny stage. Nominations of Ajmal Qadri, a central leader of the JUI-ideological group, besides Maulana Khalil Ahmad Mukhlis, and Maulana Abdul Qadir were also approved.

(WITH INPUT FROM RANA YASIF & BILAL GHAURI)