Shehryar Afridi, Shandana Gulzar, others allowed to contest polls

PESHAWAR: The election tribunals of Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Tuesday accepted the appeals of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leaders and allowed them to contest forthcoming elections slated for February 8. The nomination papers of PTI leaders Shehryar Afridi, Shandana Gulzar and others had been rejected by the respective returning officers for various reasons, which were challenged at the PHC’s election tribunals.

Justice Shakeel Ahmad of the Peshawar High Court heard the appeal of Shandana Gulzar.

Counsel for the petitioner told the court that his client was a candidate for the general elections, who had fulfilled all the requirements and rules.However, he pleaded that the returning officer had rejected her credentials without any logic.

The court, after hearing the arguments, accepted the appeal and allowed her to contest polls.Similarly, Justice SM Attique Shah heard the appeal of PTI leader and former minister Shehryar Afridi.

Sher Afzal Marwat, counsel for the petitioner, informed the court that his client was contesting elections from NA-35 and PK-92 in Kohat but the RO had rejected his nomination papers for a case registered against him by the Anti-Corruption Department.

He said that the petitioner had not mentioned the case in his nomination papers because he did not know about it.The court accepted the appeal and allowed Shehryar Afridi to contest polls.

Also, the tribunal in Mingora cleared Shahzada Sikandarul Mulk to contest election for PK-2.Meanwhile, the Election Tribunal Hazara also dismissed the objection against acceptance of nomination papers of former provincial minister and PTI’s leader Yousuf Ayub Khan declaring his candidature as valid.

Asad Usman, a candidate for NA-18, Haripur and Bilal Khan, a candidate for PK-46 Haripur, had challenged the qualification of Yousuf Ayub Khan before the returning officer during the scrutiny process and sought rejection of his nomination papers. They had pointed out that he had concealed his foreign employment in Dubai and was disqualified for life under Article 62, 1(f) of the Constitution. The returning officer for NA- 18, Humair Mehmood dismissed their objection and declared his candidature valid by accepting his papers.

However, Asad Usman and Bilal Khan again moved the Election Tribunal Hazara against the decision of RO praying for rejection of Yousuf’s papers. The election tribunal headed by Justice Kamran Hayat Miankhel dismissed the appeal and maintained the decision of the returning officer.