PESHAWAR: The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP)’s candidate from NA-21 Mardan, Iftikhar Ahmad Khan on Tuesday submitted objections with the returning officer against the nomination of former chief minister Ameer Haider Hoti and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)’s former provincial minister Mohammad Atif Khan.
Iftikhar Ahmad, who is the son of former deputy speaker Ikramullah Shahid, recalled that Ameer Haider Hoti had declared ownership of 190 kanal of agricultural land in Rorerya village, but didn’t mention it in his nomination papers while contesting the 2008 and 2013 elections and while serving as MNA in 2014 and 2016. He maintained that Haider Hoti intentionally kept this information secret.
Iftikhar Ahmad said that Haider Hoti in his nomination papers mentioned his 10 kanal of agricultural land in Naran in Mansehra district while stating that Syed Muzammil Shah hailing from Mansehra gifted it to him. He noted that the price of the precious land was Rs5,000 in the transfer deed papers No 14607, 17.3.12.
He said that Haider Hoti intentionally kept the information hidden in the tax return papers during 2013, 2014 and 2016 and didn’t mention original price of the land.
The PPP candidate attached the relevant documents with his objections, saying the gifted land was not given to the recipient according to the law of the land.
He recalled that Haider Hoti in his tax return papers in 2014 had stated that he had received Rs42,22,00000 as remittance from United Arab Emirates, but couldn’t explain as to wherefrom he received the huge amount.
He also said the ANP candidate owned business abroad, which he didn’t disclose.
The PPP candidate said in his tax return paper 2016, Haider Hoti had stated that his wife had received Rs47,42,833.00 from her brother’s Aluqsab Transport Company as her share.
He argued that this proved that the wife of Haider Hoti also had some business in UAE but the candidate kept the facts secret.
Iftikhar Ahmad said it was astonishing that the candidate in his nomination papers and on oath had stated that he, his spouse and family members had no business abroad.
Keeping in view these facts and verdicts of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, he said that Haider Hoti was not “Sadiq” and “Amin” as he was concealing facts. He maintained that the nomination papers were not correct in light of the law and the Election Act.
Iftikhar Ahmad asked the returning officer to reject the papers of Haider Hoti.
In his second objection, Iftikhar Ahmad said the PTI candidate Atif Khan in his nomination papers had mentioned his 500 shares in KAPCO but he had not mentioned details as to what is KAPCO, where it was situated and what was the nature of business.
Iftikhar Ahmad said the parents of Atif Khan were alive and he should have explained his shares and the price of the land.
He said Atif Khan had mentioned his ownership of one-third of a house but he had not provided information about its location, size and total value.
He said Atif Khan had not mentioned his assets in his nomination papers in 2016 and failed to disclose his shares in KAPCO.
Iftikhar Ahmad said the candidates were required by law to mention the details of their own or their family businesses in “Paragraph No E” but that section was kept empty intentionally.
He said that in his papers the PTI candidate mentioned 60 kanal of land but kept the information secret in the nomination papers.
He asked the returning officer to reject the papers of Atif Khan for concealing facts.
