Onto the third phase: Raja trips, others pass the scrutiny hurdle

Tribunals formed to hear appeals against rejection of nomination papers.

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) cleared a key hurdle on Sunday, wrapping up the tedious process of nomination papers’ scrutiny for as many as 24,094 candidates from across the country. Its next task is to process appeals from candidates whose nominations have been rejected  which is counted as the third phase of the election process.

For the purpose, the poll body has set up nine tribunals — five at Lahore High Court, two at Sindh High Court and one each at Peshawar High Court and Balochistan High Court — to hear appeals against rejection of nomination papers. The tribunals will start receiving petitions today (Monday).

“The nine tribunals will receive appeals from April 8 to April 10,” said ECP spokesperson Khursheed Alam. He added that the tribunals would start hearing the appeals from April 11 and continue doing so till April 17.

Alam reiterated that Sunday was the last day for scrutiny. “The returning officers (ROs) have completed the scrutiny process as scheduled … there will not be, as such, any further extension in the date for the scrutiny of nomination papers.”

But despite this, ECP official Mohammad Afzal Khan cautioned that the candidates who had their nomination papers accepted could still be disqualified for fraud and other irregularities. He maintained this process of scrutiny would continue beyond the elections.

Several prominent politicians have failed the scrutiny process. Those who had their nomination papers rejected on the last day for scrutiny include former prime minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, who had filed papers from NA-51 (Gujjar Khan), and former leader of opposition in the National Assembly Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, who had intended to contest the polls from NA-52 (Rawalpindi-III), NA-53 (Taxila) and PP-7 (Rawalpindi-VII).

According to officials, Ashraf found himself in trouble before the RO due to allegations of nepotism and misappropriation of funds during his tenure as premier. Nisar, meanwhile, had his papers rejected from his preferred constituencies, NA-53 (Rawalpindi-IV) and PP-7, over his failure to provide accurate details of his assets. The former opposition leader did, however, have his papers from NA-52 (Rawalpindi-III) accepted.

Sunday fared comparatively better for former president Pervez Musharraf. While his nomination papers for NA-250 (Karachi-XII) and NA-48 (Islamabad) were rejected, the former president’s papers were accepted in NA-32 (Chitral).

“His papers are in order. He has not been convicted by any court so far, so we cannot disqualify him,” NA-32 RO Jamal Khan told the media. The move evoked furore among the leadership on the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf in Chitral.

Musharraf had earlier been disqualified as a candidate for NA-139 (Kasur-II). Reportedly, the former president had also decided to pull out of the race for NA-48 (Islamabad-I) in light of security threats. In all four constituencies, his candidacy had been challenged over his 2007 his proclamation of emergency rule, and over the Lal Masjid incident and the killings of Benazir Bhutto and Nawab Akbar Bugti.

Other notable leaders who had their nomination papers rejected on Sunday include PPP leader Imtiaz Safdar Warraich and independent candidate Jamshed Dasti. Warraich, who had filed papers for NA-98 (Gujranwala-IV), failed to provide correct information on his assets.

Dasti, meanwhile, was rejected due to his conviction by a local court over his fake degree. He was sentenced to three years and had a Rs5,000 fine imposed over him. Dasti had filed his papers for NA-178 (Muzaffargarh-III).

Earlier, the nomination papers of PML-N leader Ayaz Amir and former federal minister Faisal Saleh Hayat were also rejected. Amir, who intended to contest polls form NA-60 (Chakwal-I), was rejected over an article he penned on the ideology of Pakistan. Hayat’s papers for NA-87 (Jhang) were rejected due to allegations of water theft.

At the same time, several key politicians had cause to rejoice on Sunday. Those who had their papers approved include PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif and his brother Shahbaz Sharif, former deputy PM Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, PTI chief Imran Khan, PTI leaders Shah Mehmood Qureshi and Javed Hashmi, Maulana Fazlur Rehman and Asfandyar Wali Khan.

The PML-N chief was accepted as a candidate, both from his home constituency NA-120 (Lahore-III) and NA-68 (Sargodha-V). His brother, former Punjab chief minister Shahbaz Sharif has been accepted as a candidate for PP-247 (Rajanpur-I).

Imran and ANP leader Ghulam Ahmad Bilour were both accepted as candidates for NA-1 (Peshawar-I). Asfandyar Wali, meanwhile, has been accepted as a candidate for NA-7 (Charsadda-I).

PML-Quaid leaders Chaudhry Wajahat Hussain and Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi were accepted as candidates for NA-104 and NA-105 respectively.

PPP leader Makhdoom Amin Fahim’s papers for NA-218 Hyderabad were also cleared on Sunday.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 8^th, 2013.