Nomination Papers
LAHORE: The founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Imran Khan, faced a significant setback as his nomination papers for a National Assembly constituency in Lahore (NA-122) and his hometown, Mianwali (NA-89), were rejected by the provincial election commission officials.
The rejection deals a blow to PTI, already grappling with various legal challenges, including cases related to the May 9 riots, which led to the arrest of senior leaders, including Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi.
The returning officer assigned to scrutinize the NA-122 nomination papers cited Khan’s conviction, stating that he had been disqualified for five years in the Toshakhana case, involving corrupt practices under Section 167 of the Elections Act, 2017. Objections raised by PML-N’s Mian Naseer also highlighted that Khan’s proposer and seconder did not belong to NA-122.
In Mianwali (NA-89), Khan faced objections ranging from his disqualification in the Toshakhana case to allegations of having an illegitimate daughter and defaulting on social security funds. The returning officer, concurring with the objections, rejected Khan’s nomination papers for this constituency.
Meanwhile, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) also rejected Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi’s nomination papers for various constituencies. Other PTI leaders, including Hammad Azhar, faced similar rejections.
While there is an avenue for appeal until January 3, the electoral body’s revised list of candidates will be published on January 11. The rejection of nomination papers for key figures adds to PTI’s legal and political challenges. The party is also at risk of losing its electoral symbol “bat,” with a review petition filed by the ECP seeking to overturn a court order that had temporarily restored the symbol after irregularities in intra-party polls were alleged.
In the backdrop of a nationwide crackdown and hundreds of Maintenance of Public Order notifications, PTI navigates a complex landscape leading up to the upcoming polls on February 8, 2024.
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