Swati's nomination papers reinstated

The appellate tribunal on Monday reversed the decision to reject the nomination papers of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Azam Swati for the upcoming Senate election, slated for April 2.

Convened by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to address electoral grievances, the appellate tribunal took up Swati's petition contesting the rejection of his nomination papers for the Senate's general and technocrat seats.

However, the tribunal has deferred its verdict on Swati's appeal regarding his nomination for the technocrat seat.

Presided over by Justice Shakeel Ahmad, the tribunal's hearing saw presentations from legal representatives of both parties. The judge probed the grounds on which the nominations were dismissed.

Swati's legal counsel informed Justice Ahmad that objections against his client's nomination were lodged by three individuals, two of whom were not contenders in the upcoming election.

The counsel elaborated on the nature of objections raised against Swati, highlighting discrepancies in the presentation of cases compared to previous general elections.

Furthermore, the counsel argued that Swati's extensive experience as a senator, spanning 18 years and including two terms on the technocrat seat and one term on the general seat, contradicted claims of his ineligibility based on purported lack of experience.

Responding to objections, the complainant's counsel contended that a senatorial candidate for the technocrat seat must possess a 16-year education and 20 years of experience, criteria purportedly unmet by Swati.

Justice Ahmad noted Swati's past service as a senator and his involvement in legislative activities within the upper house of parliament. However, concerns were raised regarding Swati's alleged omission of legal cases from his nomination papers, with implications of deliberate misrepresentation.
The tribunal, after hearing arguments from both sides, opted to reserve its verdict for further consideration.

The ECP's tribunal has given a nod to the nomination papers of the outspoken PTI leader for the general seat. The tribunal will address his appeal regarding the rejection of his nomination for the technocrat seat in the forthcoming hearing.

In addition, the tribunal has ruled another PTI leader, Murad Saeed, as eligible to contest the upcoming Senate election. Saeed's appeal against the rejection of his nomination papers by the election commission was accepted by the tribunal.

The decision comes after the top electoral body recently rejected the nomination papers of senior leaders of the Imran-founded party, who were nominated from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on both general and technocrat seats.