An appellate tribunal of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has rejected an appeal filed against acceptance of the nomination papers of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman Imran Khan for by-election in NA- 118, Nankana Sahib on Wednesday. According to details, the ECP’s appellate tribunal has rejected the appeal filed against the acceptance of Imran Khan’s nomination papers for NA-118 and directed the petitioner to file election petition. A single-member bench headed by Justice Shahid Waheed heard the petition filed by Shezra Mansab Kharal, a candidate of the Pakistan Muslim League- Nawaz from the constituency. During the hearing, the election commission presented the record of Imran Khan’s nomination papers before the court. The petitioner’s counsel Mansoor Awan also appeared before the court. Justice Shahid Waheed noted that all the allegations levelled against the nomination papers were related to election petition.

“The jurisdiction of the Election Tribunal is limited”, he said, asking the petitioner to present such an objection on which the tribunal can use its authority. The judge further said that the nomination papers cannot be rejected on the basis of incomplete information. On August 5, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan had announced to contest by-polls from all nine seats, vacated after the NA speaker accepted PTI MNAs’ resignation. According to the ECP schedule, the by-polls on the nine National Assembly seats would be contested on September 25. The PTI chief had announced to contest elections from all nine constituencies himself. Elections would be held this year, government parties want to single him out, he had said. Earlier, the government had accepted the resignations of 11 PTI MNAs including Shireen Mazari, Ali Muhammad Khan, Ijaz Shah, Farrukh Habib, Shandana Gulzar, Fazal Muhammad, Fakhar Zaman, Abdul Shakoor Shad, Jameel Ahmed and Akram Cheema.

Credit:
Independent News Pakistan-INP