Senate elections: PHC moved against acceptance of PTI leaders’ papers

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Friday issued notices to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders in a writ petition challenging the acceptance of their nomination papers for the Senate election by the election tribunal.

A two-member bench comprising Justice SM Attique Shah and Justice Syed Arshad Ali heard the writ petition filed by Taj Mohammad Afridi of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz. He has challenged in the high court the acceptance of the nomination papers of the PTI leaders, including Murad Saeed, Muhammad Azam Swati, Faisal Javed, Khurram Zeeshan and Azhar Mashwani. The bench issued notices to the PTI leaders and directed them to submit their reply by April 1.

Barrister Saqib Raza appearing for the petitioner told the bench that the election tribunal had accepted the nomination papers of the PTI leaders, including Murad Saeed, Azam Swati, Faisal Javed, Khurram Zeeshan and Azhar Mashwani for the Senate election. He, however, said that the PTI leaders were facing a number of cases registered against them in various cities across the country in connection with the May 9 incidents.

He said that PTI leader Murad Saeed was still in hiding and there were issues in his tax returns. Barrister Saqib Raza requested the bench to declare null and void the acceptance of their nomination papers for the Senate election by the election tribunal. After hearing the arguments, the bench issued notices to the PTI leaders and directed them to submit their reply by April 1.