Imran Khan given green signal to contest by-polls on two NA seats
August 24, 2022 01:05 PM
Former prime minister and PTI Chairman Imran Khan was on Wednesday allowed to contest the upcoming by-elections on two National Assembly (NA) seats, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.
The Election Appellate Tribunal rejected the appeal filed against the acceptance of Imran’s nomination papers from NA-118, Nankana.
Justice Shahid Waheed heard the petition filed by Shizra Mansab Kharal, a candidate in the same election, who argued that the returning officer (RO) had accepted the PTI chairman’s nomination papers without looking at the facts. “The RO failed to take into account the fact that the former prime minister concealed the gifts he had received from the Tosha Khana,” she said, adding, “Imran also did not deliberately disclose his and his wife’s assets. The papers were submitted to the RO without their verification by the oath commissioner.”
Therefore, she went on to add, it was prayed to the tribunal to declare the acceptance of PTI chairman’s papers null and void and he be barred from contesting the election from NA-118.
Mansoor Usman Awan Advocate, representing the petitioner, said that the affidavit submitted by Imran had not been verified by the oath commissioner.
Justice Shahid Waheed reminded him that the Supreme Court (SC) had ruled that the nomination papers of a candidate could not be rejected merely because he had failed to get the affidavit verified by the oath commissioner. “This is a flaw that can be removed,” he remarked.
The judge made it clear to the petitioner that she could not raise the point before tribunal which she did not raise before the RO.
Justice Waheed told her that section 16 said that only on four grounds a candidate’s papers could be rejected.
Similarly, it accepted the appeal filed by the PTI chairman against the rejection of his nomination papers from NA-108, Faisalabad.
Reporter: Malik Ashraf