Khaqan Abbasi’s incomplete papers: Tribunal suspends RO for two days

RAWALPINDI: An Election Tribunal (ET) on Saturday suspended a returning officer (RO) for two days for accepting incomplete nomination papers of former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi for NA-57 Murree.

The tribunal comprised Justice Ibad-ur-Rehman Lodhi at the Lahore High Court (LHC)’s Rawalpindi registry.

The tribunal reprimanded the RO and remarked how free and fair elections were possible in the presence of ROs like him.

Later, the tribunal put off appeals against the nomination papers of Shahid Khaqan Abbasi till June 25.

The tribunal also directed the returning officer to appear before it on June 25.

The appeals have been filed by Masood Ahmed Abbasi and Muhammad Umar.

The appellants have accused Shahid Khaqan of committing corruption and compromising national security by supporting a disputed interview of PML-N Quaid Muhammad Nawaz Sharif. Talking to the media, Masood Ahmed Abbasi said he had filed appeals against the acceptance of Shahid Khaqan’s nomination papers being a voter from the constituency and a lawyer.

He said Abbasi had committed many anomalies in his papers but the RO accepted his nomination papers.

He alleged that the former prime minister did not mention the true value of his assets in the nomination papers.

Separately, in another matter, the tribunal rejected an objection to the acceptance of nomination papers of PML-N candidate Hanif Abbasi from NA-60.

The objection was rejected for the reason that the person was not a voter from the constituency.

In another matter, Usman Chohan, a PTI worker, filed an appeal against the acceptance of nomination papers of a PTI candidate Zafar Iqbal from PP-26.

Usman Chohan through his counsel Qaiser Abbas Shah contended before the tribunal that Zafar Iqbal was a dual national and he had not relinquished his British nationality.

The tribunal issued notices to the candidate for June 25.