ISLAMABAD, Jan 01 (NNI): The Election Appellate Tribunals, consisting of high courts’ judges, set up across the country to hear appeals against the rejection or acceptance of nomination papers of the candidates for the upcoming general elections, have started functioning from Monday.
A two-member Election Appellate Tribunal, consisting of two judges of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) namely Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri and Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir, is hearing appeals filed by the candidates from the federal capital.
PTI candidate Shoaib Shaheen has moved to the IHC today challenging rejection of his nomination papers by the respective Returning Officers and pleading the court to declare ROs’ decisions null and void.
Shoaib Shaheen submitted his papers for three National Assembly constituencies and his papers for all three NA seats were rejected.
In Lahore High Court’s Election Appellate Tribunal, Justice Rahil Kamran Sheikh heard an appeal of a voter from Daska PP 51, Muhammad Rizwan.
The petitioner through his lawyer Irfan Cheema challenged the acceptance of nomination papers of PML-N candidate Muhammad Afzal Mansha.
He objected that the candidate’s birth of date was different on his national identity card and Matriculation certificate. He also objected that candidate Mansha did not mention his first wife in his nomination papers and differences were also found in the enumeration of his sources of income and submitted details of his wealth. He said that the RO rejected the objections and accepted the nomination papers of Mansha.
Later, the Appellate Tribunal sent a notice to the Election Commission of Pakistan and PML-N candidate Muhammad Afzal for January 3.
PTI candidate Umair Khan Niazi filed an appeal from NA 89 and 90 Mianwali, which was accepted for hearing.
Justice Chaudhary Abdul Aziz issued a notice to Returning Officer Mianwali and Election Commissioner Punjab and called for all the records till tomorrow.
Imran Khan’s focal person for legal affairs and PTI’s Additional General Secretary Umair Khan Niazi pleaded that his papers were rejected from NA 89 and NA 90 in political revenge. He requested the tribunal to annul the Returning Officer’s decision and allow him to contest the election.
From NA-236, PTI candidate Firdous Shamim Naqvi and independent candidates from other constituencies filed appeals in the Election Tribunal.
PTI candidates Zartaj Gul from NA-185 DG Khan and Mohiuddin Khosa from PP 290 DG Khan filed appeals against the rejection of their nomination papers.
In KP too, 8 PTI candidates have filed appeals in the Election Tribunal, including Mujahid Khan from NA-21 Mardan, Zahir Shah Toro from PK-57, Abdul Salam Afridi PK-58, Iftikhar Mashwani PK-60, Ameer Farzand Khan from PK 56, Aftab Alam from NA 35 Kohat, Yusuf Khan from NA 31 Hangu, and Abu Tarab from Hangu.
Mian Mehmoodur Rashid from PP-169 and Barrister Shahid Masood from NA-131 Kasur filed their appeals against the decision to reject the nomination papers, saying that the Returning Officers rejected their papers unjustifiably on the basis of their affiliation with the PTI.
Written certified decisions of rejection of nomination papers have been issued by the Returning Officers. The High Court Tribunals will decide all appeals by January 10.
The Returning Officers will release the new list of candidates on January 11. Nomination papers can be withdrawn till January 12 and election symbols will be allotted to the candidates on January 13. Scrutiny of papers for reserved seats for women and minorities will be done till January 13.
It merits mentioning that strict security arrangements have been made in and around the courts in view of filing of appeals.
The Election Commission of Pakistan has released details of nomination papers submitted for the national and provincial assemblies’ seats.
As many as 7,473 candidates submitted their nomination papers for the National Assembly seats from across the country. Out of it, papers of 1,024 candidates were rejected and papers of 6,449 candidates were accepted.
Papers of 521 candidates for National Assembly from Punjab, 93 from Islamabad, 166 from Sindh, 152 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and 92 from Balochistan were rejected.
For Punjab Assembly, papers of 943 candidates were rejected; for Sindh Assembly, 520 candidates’ papers were rejected, and for KP and Balochistan assemblies, papers of 367 and 386 candidates, respectively were rejected.
Papers of 252 women were rejected for the general seats of national and provincial assemblies. NNI
