Deadline ends for filing appeals against ROs’ decisions

ISLAMABAD/LAHORE: The last date set by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for filing of appeals against rejection or acceptance of nomination papers by returning officers (ROs) ended on Wednesday. Now the appellate tribunals would decide on the appeals till January 10.

A large number of appeals against ROs’ decisions were filed till the last date i.e. January 3. Justice Risal Hasan Syed of the appellate tribunal summoned the returning officer (RO) in personal capacity by issuing a notice on an appeal filed against the approval of nomination papers of Nawaz Sharif for NA-130 constituency on Wednesday.

An objection was raised by the registrar’s office for not attaching certified documents in the appeal, filed by lawyer Ishtiaq Ahmed, who took the position that Nawaz Sharif was ineligible for life and the returning officer gave the decision against the law.

Earlier, an appeal was filed in the election tribunal, challenging the acceptance of nomination papers of PMLN President Shehbaz Sharif. The appeal alleges that Shehbaz was “identified as the mastermind of an alleged criminal attack on the Supreme Court on November 28, 1997.”

The applicant, Shahid Orakzai, filed the appeal from NA-132, contending that Shehbaz was present on the day of the attack at the Prime Minister’s Secretariat along with his elder brother, Nawaz Sharif. He argued that Shehbaz’s presence at the Prime Minister’s Secretariat was reported to the Supreme Court on oath by the-then adviser to the prime minister for information and broadcasting. The country’s top court did not question him about the agenda of the meeting with the then-prime minister, it added.

Meanwhile, the nomination papers of Maryam Nawaz were challenged in the appellate tribunal. Nadeem Sherwani took the stand in the appeal that Maryam hid the facts in the nomination papers and did not state the correct facts.

Similarly, an appeal was filed against rejection of nomination papers of founder Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan. Lawyer Rai Muhammad Ali took the position that nomination papers of Imran for NA-122 constituency were rejected on the basis of baseless allegations.

Meanwhile, 131 appeals were filed before the appellate tribunal established at the Multan Bench of the Lahore High Court on Wednesday. The total number of appeals filed reached 215 in the last three days. The tribunal sought record of the returning officers on January 6, 7 and 8. Among important political leaders who filed appeals included former foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, former Federal Minister Zartaj Gul, Ghulam Mustafa Khar, Ehsanul Haque Nolatia, Chaudhry Nazir Ahmad Jat, Ayesha Nazir Jat, Muhammad Ali Langriyal, Ibrahim Khan, Zain Qureshi, Meherbano Qureshi, Tehmina Doultana, Rai Arif Mansab, Muhammad Siddique, Rao Hashim, Zahid Iqbal, Rai Murtaza Hasan, Zahid Bahar Hashmi, Nawabzada Ahmad Khan Babar, Zahid Khan Mazari, Pir Mushtaq Shah, Ali Shabbir Ali Qureshi, Muhammad Naheed, Sardar Mohiuddin, Rai Muhammad Iqbal, Faisal Niazi, Rafiq Niazi, Khalid Bashir, Sardar Muhammad Sharif Khan, Mustafa Ahmed and Neelam Malik, among others. Earlier, an LHC bench headed by Justice Tariq Nadeem directed the returning officer for NA-151 to provide certified copies of rejection of nomination papers of Shah Mehmood Qureshi, his son Zain Qureshi and daughter Meherbano Qureshi to the applicants. In their writ petition, they stated that they were candidates from NA-150 and 151, and provincial constituencies PP-218 and 219. However, the returning officer had rejected their nomination papers but was not providing certified copies of the decision. Later, after getting the certified copies, Shah Mehmood and his son and daughter filed appeals against the RO’s decision. Meanwhile Jamaat-e-Islami leader filed an application with election commissioner and district returning officer for disqualification of four PMLN leaders, including former federal minister Khurram Dastgir Khan. Furqan Aziz Butt, a JI leader and also a candidate from PP-64 Gujranwala, in his application, alleged that the PMLN ticketholders Khurram, Imran Khalid Butt, Waqar Cheema and Moazzam Rauf Mughal held a press conference at the government building on Tuesday against the Elections Act.