Sanam Javed allowed to contest Senate election

LAHORE: An appellate tribunal of the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Friday allowed PTI candidate Sanam Javed Khan to contest Senate elections, to be held on April 2.

The tribunal set aside the decision of the returning officer, who had rejected her nomination papers. The tribunal, comprising Justice Shahid Bilal Hassan, announced the reserved verdict, allowing the appeal, filed by Sanam Javed against rejection of her nomination papers for Senate election. The tribunal had reserved the verdict after conclusion of arguments by the parties a day earlier.

During the arguments, the applicant's counsel contended that the returning officer rejected his client's nomination papers contrary to the law, stating that the rejection was based on the unfounded objection of concealing a plot, though his client did not own any property. He also complained that the jail authorities did not cooperate in fulfilling necessary legal requirements regarding the nomination papers.

He pleaded with the tribunal to allow his client to contest the election. However, a counsel for the Election Commission argued that the applicant did not provide details of assets and accounts of her spouse, as required under the Election Rules. On March 19, Provincial ECP Aijaz Anwar, who also served as the returning officer for the Senate polls in Punjab, rejected Sanam Javed's nomination papers for women reserved seats.