MARDAN: A voter here on Thursday submitted an application with the returning officer that challenged
the nomination papers
filed by former prime minister Imran Khan for the
NA-22 -Mardan III
by-election.
Sources said Ali Haidar Joshi advocate, son of Sultan Mohammad, a resident of Shergarh, through
his lawyers Barrister Arshad Abdullah and Mohammad Jalaluddin Khan, submitted the application
with the returning officer NA-22 office.
The citizen stated in the application that he is a voter in the NA-22 constituency and objected to the nomination papers filed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan under Section 62 of the Election Act 2017.
He said that Imran Khan had not submitted the details of Toshakhana gifts and details of the foreign funding case. It may be noted that Imran Khan has filed nomination papers for the by-election on NA-22 Mardan-III.
The seat fell vacant after the National Assembly speaker accepted the resignation of former federal minister Ali Mohammad Khan. Ali Mohammad
Khan has filed nomination papers as a covering candidate for the ousted prime minister.
Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) Maulana Mohammad Qasim, who is district ameer of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl, Jamaat-e-Islami provincial general secretary Abdul Wasi and district ameer of Ghulam Rasool and another person, Mohammad Sarwar, have filed nomination papers
as well.
A total of six candidates have filed nomination papers for the by-election. However, the Election Commission of Pakistan has not issued the final list of the candidates.
It may be noted here that Maulana Mohammad Qasim’s father, late
Maulana Mohammad Ahmed, won this seat twice in the past.
After the death of Maulana Mohammad Ahmed, Maulana Mohammad Qasim won this
seat in the 2002 and 2008 general elections.
However, in the 2013 and 2018 general elections, he lost to the PTI candidate, Ali Mohammad Khan.
In the 2018 general elections, Ali Mohammad Khan won this seat by securing 58,577 votes while JUIF candidate Maulana Mohammad Qasim secured 563,18 votes.