As the Senate election slated for April 2 approaches, an appellate tribunal has approved the nomination papers of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Azam Swati for a general seat.
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) convened an appellate tribunal to deliberate on Swati’s petition challenging the rejection of his nomination papers for the Senate’s general and technocrat seats.
While the tribunal accepted Swati’s nomination for the general seat, it deferred its decision on his appeal regarding the technocrat seat nomination for further deliberation.
Legal representatives from both sides presented arguments during the proceedings chaired by Judge Justice Shakeel Ahmad. Justice Ahmad asked for clarification on why the nominations were rejected.
The legal representative of Swati informed the tribunal that three individuals, out of which two were not contesting the upcoming elections, had raised objections against Swati’s nomination. Additionally, the representative argued that Swati had not been provided with complete information about the cases against him, despite the court’s directives.
During the hearing, the lawyer highlighted Swati’s experience as a senator and brought attention to the inconsistency in his eligibility for the technocrat seat. However, the counsel for the complainant argued that Swati did not meet the necessary educational and experiential requirements for the technocrat seat, which raised questions about his eligibility.
Following arguments from both sides, the tribunal reserved its verdict, approving Swati’s nomination papers for the general seat while postponing the decision on his appeal for the technocrat seat rejection.
The tribunal is expected to announce its ruling on Swati’s appeal for the technocrat seat in the subsequent hearing, ensuring a thorough examination of the matter before the forthcoming Senate election.
