Shah Mahmood Qureshi, other PTI leaders allowed to contest polls
Pakistan
Atif Khan, Zulfi Bukhari, Naeem Panjotha, Zain Qureshi, Haleem Adil also cleared to run for poll
MULTAN/RAWALPINDI/KARACHI (Dunya News) – Appellate tribunals across country, accepting appeals of several PTI leaders against rejection of their nomination papers, allowed them to contest upcoming general elections going to be held on Feb 8.
Appellate tribunals in different cities conducted hearing of appeals filed by several PTI candidates against decisions taken by the returning officers for rejecting nomination papers.
A tribunal accepted Pakistan Tehreek-e- Insaf (PTI) leader Shah Mahmood Qureshi's appeal against rejection of his nomination papers and allowed him to contest election from National Assembly constituency NA 214 (Umar Kot).
Nomination Papers of Zain Qureshi from NA 214 were accepted whereas election tribunal granted permission to PTI leader Haleem Adil Sheikh to run for election from NA 238.
Appeal of PTI candidate Arslan Khalid was also accepted and tribunal allowed him to take part in National Assembly election from NA 241 (Karachi)۔
Nomination paper of PTI candidate from Noshera was also cleared to vie for election. Tribunal conducted hearing of PTI aspirant Mian Muhammad Omer and granted him permission to run for election from PK 88 (Noshera).
In Peshawar election tribunal judge Justice Shakeel Ahmad accepted nomination papers of Atif Khan for NA 22 and PK 59 (Mardan). In Rawalpindi, appellate tribunal rejected RO's decision and cleared Raja Basharat to contest polls from NA 55 and PP 15.
Zulfi Bukhari's appeal was allowed by a tribunal and he was given permission to run for election from Attock's NA 50 constituency. Former PTI MPA from PP 15 was also allowed to contest election.
Appellate Tribunal Judge Asjad Javed conducted hearing of PTI lawyer Naeem Panjotha against RO's decision and declared returning officer's decision as null and void. Panjotha will contest election from National Assembly constituency NA 82 (Sargodha) and PP 71 and PP 80.
However, former PTI MPA Arif Abbasi's appeal from PP 19 was rejected by the election tribunal. Appellate court said Arif Abbasi was a proclaimed offender and he had not surrendered to the court.
Election tribunal in Rawalpindi accepted nominations of Sheikh Rashid Shafique from NA 56, 57 and PP 19.
Meanwhile, Fawad Chaudhry's nomination papers were accepted by appellate tribunal from Jhelum's two National Assembly constituencies.
Earlier on Thursday, different election tribunals had approved the nomination papers of Awami Muslim League (AML) chief Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, Balochistan National Party (BNP) head Mengal and PML-Zia chief Ijazul Haq, and allowed them to contest the February 8 elections.
Rashid's nomination papers were accepted from NA-56 and NA-57 constituencies. Another election tribunal in Balochistan granted permission to Mengal to contest elections from NA-264 (Quetta).
A tribunal rejected the RO’s objections to the papers of Ijazul Haq. His nomination papers were accepted for NA-55.
