Tribunal clears PTI’s Atif, Shahram

Justice emphasises voters as ultimate judges, asserting that they will choose candidates based on their preferences

PESHAWAR:

The Election Tribunal on Friday granted approval for the appeals filed by former ministers and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) candidates, Atif Khan and Shahram Khan Tarakai, permitting them to participate in the upcoming polls alongside other candidates.

During the hearing, Justice Shakil Ahmad, presiding over one of the tribunals, emphasized the voters as the ultimate judges in the polls, asserting that they would choose candidates based on their preferences.

He referenced the chief justice’s prior remark that, aside from the Prophet (PBUH), there is no one deemed as ‘sadiq or amin.’

Barrister Qasim Wadud, representing Atif Khan, presented the case, explaining that Atif’s nomination papers were initially rejected due to an FIR filed against him for rioting.

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He highlighted that the rejection was based on a decision from the Balochistan High Court, which the returning officer used as grounds for dismissal. Justice Shakil questioned the Election Commission lawyers about the rejection of papers for a proclaimed offender, to which they cited a Sindh High Court verdict.

However, Justice Shakil specified that the Balochistan High Court’s decision pertained to local government matters, and the Sindh High Court’s verdict should be submitted to the tribunal.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 6^th, 2024.