ISLAMABAD: In Lahore, the approval of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s nomination papers for NA-15 in Mansehra.
However, decisions on objections to the nomination papers of PPP Chief Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and former Premier Imran Khan in Lahore were pending.
Objections against Nawaz Sharif in NA-15 were raised by PTI leader Azam Swati, represented by Shahid Rafiq, a local party leader. Despite objections, the respective returning officer initially cleared Sharif’s papers after dismissing the objections.
PTI’s argument centered on the Supreme Court’s lifetime disqualification of the PML-N leader, contending that the RO lacked the authority to approve Sharif’s nomination papers. However, Sharif’s papers were ultimately accepted.
In Lahore’s NA-122 constituency, objections to former PM Imran Khan’s nomination papers cited his punishment in the Toshakhana case. The objector argued that while the court suspended the sentence, it did not nullify Khan’s conviction. Additionally, the objector claimed the approver was not a voter in NA-122, rendering their approval invalid.
Khan’s counsel refuted the claims, stating that the approver was initially registered in the constituency but was removed from the rolls due to recent delimitation on Dec 15. The lawyer argued that the ECP held no punitive authority and contended that Article 62 and Article 63 did not apply to the former PTI chairman.
In NA-127, PPP’s Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari’s nomination papers were contested by someone not registered to vote in the constituency. The returning officer reserved the decision after hearing arguments from Bilawal’s representative, Irfan Qadir. Notably, PPP leaders present at the hearing anticipated the objections to be dismissed, highlighting that contesting papers without proper authorization under election rules raised concerns.
The discrepancy of objectors from different constituencies contesting nominations in Lahore remained a point of contention for PPP leaders, questioning the legitimacy of objections raised by a resident of Narowal against a candidate in a Lahore seat.
I am an experienced writer, analyst, and author. My exposure in English journalism spans more than 28 years. In the past, I have been working with daily The Muslim (Lahore Bureau), daily Business Recorder (Lahore/Islamabad Bureaus), Daily Times, Islamabad, daily The Nation (Lahore and Karachi). With daily The Nation, I have served as Resident Editor, Karachi. Since 2009, I have been working as a Freelance Writer/Editor for American organizations.
