Zubair Qureshi
Rawalpindi’s District Returning Officer (DRO) after scrutiny on Saturday rejected the nomination papers of two former Members of the National Assembly (MNA), Sheikh Rashid Ahmed and his nephew Sheikh Rashid Shafiq from Rawalpindi’s National Assembly constituency NA-57. Sheikh Rashid who is former Interior Minister and considered a potential candidate from the garrison city faces rejection from the NA-56 also.
According to Sheikh Rashid, the nomination papers were rejected on the allegations that he didn’t pay dues for three-day stay in Murree’s rest house. The other allegation is a property dispute and tax evasion. He termed all the allegations baseless and vowed to challenge the RO’s decision in higher courts. Tomorrow, I am going to challenge the decision in the Election tribunal and if I don’t get justice I shall move a petition in the Supreme Court, he said.
Sheikh Rashid is contesting elections from Rawalpindi as Head of his own political party, Awami Muslim League (AML) whose election symbol is inkpot and pen. His nephew however is also contesting elections from the NA-57 and facing rejection.
From the NA-57, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) candidate Barrister Chaudhry Danyal’s nomination papers were however accepted. Similarly, the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) candidate Mukhtar Abbas has also been cleared. Another, PML-N candidate Sajjad Khan’s papers have also been accepted.
Jamaat-e-Islami’s (JI) candidate from NA-56, Imran Shafiq Advocate has also been cleared. He is an eminent lawyer and former prosecutor of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).
Two candidates from the NA-55 and NA-57 Mehran Ejaz Nawaz Chaudhry and Musaddiq Ghuman have been cleared from the garrison city and both these are considered diehard PTI workers.
In total, 30 candidates have been cleared from the NA-57 and they belong to various political parties while some are also contesting as independent candidates.
Meanwhile, from Islamabad’s three National Assembly constituencies namely, NA-46, 47 and NA-48, the Returning Officers had not finalized the names till the filing of the report. When contacted, a spokesperson said the list was being compiled and would soon be shared with the media.
From these three constituencies a large number of pro-PTI lawyers, former MNAs Ali Awan, Anjum Aqeel and Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry are in the run while a number of retired civil servants are also among the probable candidates.
Among the PML-N and the PPP heavyweights who are aspiring for the NA seats from Islamabad include former Federal Minister Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhary, former MNA Anjum Aqeel Khan, former Mayor of Islamabad Sheikh Ansar Aziz, former Deputy Mayor Syed Zeshan Naqvi, and Pir Syed Adil Gilani.
The PPPP candidates are Syed Sibtul Haider Bukhari, the brother of former Senate chairman Nayyar Hussain Bukhari, Raja Imran Ashraf, brother of the Speaker National Assembly Raja Pervez Ashraf and others. Jamaat-e-Islami’s (JI) candidate from NA-56, Imran Shafiq Advocate has also been cleared. He is an eminent lawyer and former prosecutor of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).
Among the non-political candidates, is Nayab Ali, a vocal advocate of trans-persons’ rights and a young rights worker, Sania Younis (on minority seat). Sania Younis has been running her campaign in Islamabad’s slums where majority of the non-Muslim families are living. Nayab has submitted her nomination papers for two constituencies, NA-46 and NA-47.
