Eight out of nine constituencies of the National Assembly by-elections, the nominations papers of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan have been approved by the district returning officers, reported 24 News HD TV Channel Wednesday.   

The District Returning Officer Faisalabad has rejected the nomination papers of former prime minister Imran Khan for contesting the by-election for NA-108 as he failed to satisfy the officer over his assets. 

It is pertinent that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan had announced to contest by-polls from all nine constituencies of the National Assembly, vacated after the NA speaker accepted PTI MNAs’ resignation on August 5.

 For the first time in the country’s electoral history, a candidate had filed nominations papers for nine constituencies. But, District Returning Officer Faisalabad accepted the nomination papers of 12 candidates and rejected Imran Khan’s nomination papers. 

Reports said that Imran Khan was summoned Wednesday but he did not appear, there was a difference in signatures in the nomination papers of the former prime minister too.

Now there will be a contest between PTI covering candidate Furrukh Habib and PML-N Abid Sher Ali. However, Imran Khan has filed an appeal in the commission against the rejection.

Imran Khan will be facing candidates from the PDM, a multi-party ruling coalition, as his nomination papers have been accepted from constituencies NA-22 (Mardan), 24(Charsadda), 31 (Peshawar), 45 (Kurram), 118 (Nankana), 237 (Karachi), 239 (Karachi) and 246 (Karachi).

According to the ECP schedule, the by-election on the nine National Assembly seats would be held on September 25. 

Muslim League Nawaz candidate Dr Shezra Mansab from the constituency raised some objections to the nomination papers of Imran Khan before the returning officer. She objected to selling gifts from Tosha Khana and not disclosing Al-Qadir Trust in the documents.

Returning Officer of Nankana Sahib Tanvir Al Hasan overruled the objections of the Muslim League candidate and approved the documents of Imran Khan for the candidature.   

A wave of happiness among the workers after the nomination papers of Nankana Sahib Imran Khan were approved. 

Former Federal Interior Minister Ejaz Ahmed Shah predicted that Imran Khan will win in NA-118 with a margin of at least 50 thousand votes. 

Reporters: Haji Abbas, Iqtdar Anwar, Usman Khan