The PTI cried foul on Saturday amid widespread rejections of its candidates’ nomination papers — including that of its incarcerated founder Imran Khan — for the upcoming general elections as the final day of the scrutiny phase lapsed.
The returning officer of Lahore’s NA-122 constituency rejected Imran nomination papers, with fellow party leader Khurram Sher Zaman claiming that his candidature in Mianwali and Islamabad had also met the same fate.
A detailed order from Lahore’s NA-122 RO Muhammad Iqbal stated that objections to Imran’s nomination from the constituency were raised by former PML-N MPA Mian Naseer Ahmed on a trio of grounds: Imran’s proposer was not a voter from NA-122, Imran is a convict on the allegation of dishonesty and his conviction still stands whereby he has also been disqualified by the ECP for five years, and lastly due to the fact that the Adiala Jail superintendent, where Imran is currently incarcerated, did not attest to the PTI chief’s nomination form.
The RO said that after considering the arguments from both sides, Imran’s proposer was indeed found to not be a voter of the constituency and this was a “substantial defect which cannot be remedied”. The RO further said that the court’s verdict in Imran’s conviction established that it was related to the offence of moral turpitude and, hence, the PTI chief was subject to Article 63(1)(h) of the Constitution. The law states: “A person shall be disqualified from being elected or chosen as, and from being, a member of the Parliament if he has been, on conviction for any offence involving moral turpitude, sentenced to imprisonment for a term of not less than two years, unless a period of five years has elapsed since his release.”
The RO noted that the conviction was still not yet set aside or suspended and the ECP disqualification also remained in effect.
He argued that in light of the above, the objector’s arguments were “legal and substantial in nature” and had succeeded in making a case against Imran, thus, his nomination papers from NA-122 stood rejected. Apart from Imran, a number of other senior PTI leaders’ nomination papers were also reportedly rejected, with the party alleging widespread misconduct by ROs towards its candidates and their proposers. Senior PTI leader and former National Assembly speaker Asad Qaiser said: “Today, the nomination papers of all the senior leaders of PTI, including me, were rejected. These are just tricks to make Nawaz Sharif the prime minister.”
He said the party would challenge the rejections in the courts. PTI Secretary General Omar Ayub condemned what he said was the “politically motivated rejection of nomination papers” for Murad Saeed, Sahibzada Sighbatullah, Dr Amjad Khan, Fazal Hakim Khan, Mian Sharafat and Salim ur Rahman.
PTI leaders Taimur Jhagra and Zulfi Bukhari also claimed that their nomination papers were rejected.
Both the leaders said they would take legal recourse against the rejection.
Meanwhile, with a flurry of posts on its timeline recounting the rejection of various leaders or various instances of disruptions at RO offices, the PTI said that almost 90 per cent of the nominations from its important leaders were rejected. The nomination papers of Shah Mehmood Qureshi were rejected whereas the nomination papers of 21 other candidates from NA 151 were approved. While rejecting the nomination papers of Shah Mehmood Qureshi and his son Zain Qureshi, the returning officer stated that No Dues Certificate was missing from the PTI leaders’ nomination papers.
Moreover, the returning officer also rejected the nomination papers of Shah Mehmood’s daughter Mehr Bano Qureshi and son Zain Qureshi from NA 151. Furthermore, the ECP also rejected PTI Vice Chairman Qureshi’s nomination papers from Multan’s NA-150, PP-218, and Tharparkar’s NA-214.
Former federal minister and PTI leader Hammad Azhar’s nomination papers were rejected from PP-172.
Meanwhile, the Election Commission of Pakistan Saturday rejected Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leaders Zulfi Bukhari and Azam Swati’s papers from different constituencies.
Upon rejection of Swati’s papers, PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif’s counsel Jahangir Jadoon Advocate told the journalists in Mansehra that it was essential for the candidate contesting polls to be present in the country.
Jadoon, who filed objections against Swati, said the PTI leader was only asked to appear before the RO after which the objections would be withdrawn. The RO later confirmed that the PTI leader’s nomination papers were rejected from NA-15.
Swati’s lawyer Sohail Swati said Azam Khan’s papers were rejected claiming his signatures to be fake and raising objection on him being an absconder. He said they would approach the election tribunal against the decision.
Bukhari, on the other hand, said his papers were not being accepted claiming that his signatures were not genuine, which he termed “ridiculous”. The close aide of PTI founder Imran Khan said he even had them notarised and counter signed by the oath commission.
Announcing to move court against the decision, Bukhari also alleged that six people including his lawyers, proposers and seconders had been abducted. “My lawyers, proposers and seconders have been abducted from inside. No one else was allowed in. A complete violation of justice and rule of law. This is not an election it’s a joke like the jokers in the care taker govt. Going to court!” the PTI leader wrote on X, formerly Twitter. Similarly, PTI leader Sardar Hasnain Bahadur Khan Dreshak saw his nomination papers rejected from PP 294.
Papers of former federal minister Ali Muhammad Khan from NA 23, PTI’s Zulfi Bukhari from NA 50 Attock were also rejected.
Meanwhile, an objection was raised against former federal minister Hammad Azhar’s nomination papers from NA-129 Lahore. It was filed by Rana Irfan Advocate.
Earlier objections were also made against Hammad Azhar’s papers from PP-171 Punjab.
Additionally, Usman Dar’s mother Rehana Dar and Umar Dar’s wife Aruba Dar faced rejection in NA-71, with objections related to social security dues and non-disclosure of assets.
The nomination papers of PTI leaders Yasmin Rashid NA 130 (Lahore), Shehram Tarakai NA 20, PK 52,53, and Qasim Khan Suri NA 263 were rejected.
