Election tribunal begins hearing appeals

25 appeals pending before tribunal judges in Abbottabad

ABBOTTABAD:

Following the objections raised against the nomination papers of candidates in the general elections, a total of 25 appeals have been formally lodged with the election tribunal at Peshawar High Court (PHC) Abbottabad Bench.

The election tribunal, led by Justice Kamran Hayat Mian Khel, within the Peshawar High Court Abbottabad Bench, formally commenced hearings on these appeals Thursday.

Noteworthy participants in the elections include former prime minister, federal and provincial ministers, speaker of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly and independent candidates contesting for seats in both the national and provincial assemblies.

Candidates have submitted appeals to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), challenging returning officers’ decisions and contesting objections raised by opposing parties.

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The election tribunal is expected to announce its decisions on these appeals by January 10, with the final list of candidates slated for release on January 12, adhering to the established schedule. Mushtaq Ahmed Ghani, the Speaker of the K-P Assembly, has formed a team to contest the rejection of papers from constituency PK-45 and National Assembly constituency NA-17 by the ECP.

In NA-18, former MNA Babar Nawaz has lodged objections against Omar Ayub, who, in turn, has filed a counter-objection against Babar Nawaz. In NA-15, Mansehra, a team led by a Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) representative is challenging decisions made by Manshera's additional deputy commissioner.

Kamal Salim Swati from NA-14 has raised objections against Bisharat Shah and Babar Tanoli.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 5^th, 2024.