Notice to ECP for rejecting Dar’s nomination papers

LAHORE: An appellate tribunal comprising a judge of the Lahore High Court Friday issued notice to the ECP on an appeal of former finance minister Ishaq Dar against rejection of his nomination papers for upcoming Senate election.

The tribunal comprising Justice Aminuddin Khan was hearing Dar’s appeal which he filed through special attorney advocate Naseer Ahmad Bhutta. The appellant through his counsel Salman Aslam Butt argued that the returning officer failed to hold proper scrutiny of the nomination papers required under the Representation of Peoples Act 1976.

He said the returning officer rejected his nomination papers without due diligence of the facts. He stated that legal formalities had not been fulfilled by the RO before passing the impugned decision. He asked the court to set aside the decision of the returning officer and declare him eligible to contest the Senate election.

The RO on February 12 rejected the nomination papers of Ishaq Dar on objections filed by Punjab Assembly oppositionleader Mian Mahmoodur Rasheed. The PTI leader had pleaded that Dar had been facing proceedings on charges of corruption and money-laundering and had also been declared absconder by an accountability court. He also challenged signatures of Dar on the nomination papers. The returning officer also rejected former finance minister’s nomination papers on the basis of discrepancy found in his signatures.

The same tribunal also issued notices to the ECP for today (Saturday) on two other petitions moved by PTI’s Andaleeb Abbas challenging the acceptance of nomination papers of two PML-N’s candidates - Nuzhat Sadiq and Sadia Abbasi, sister of Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi.

She alleged that respondent candidates failed to declare assets and liabilities owned by them and their spouses for which they were bound under Representation of Peoples Act 1976. She said the respondents also concealed the details of their income tax and wealth tax.

She pleaded that the respondents by committing violation of established provisions of law exposed to disqualification and were not eligible to contest election. She asked the appellant tribunal to set aside the decision of the RO and declare the respondents ineligible for contesting Senate polls.