ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan has rejected a request to expedite the hearing of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder’s plea against his conviction in the Toshakhana case during the winter vacations.
The PTI founder had sought an immediate hearing of the plea related to the suspension of his conviction in the Toshakhana case.
However, Acting Chief Justice Sardar Tariq Masood declined the request, citing the unavailability of a three-member bench during the winter vacations.
The plea will be considered after the winter vacations, according to the Acting Chief Justice.
In August, a trial court sentenced the former prime minister to three years in prison after finding him guilty of graft in the Toshakhana case.
Following the conviction, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) disqualified him for five years under Section 167 of the Elections Act, 2017.
However, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) suspended the sentence but upheld the conviction and disqualification on August 28. The PTI founder then moved to the IHC to seek rectification of its August 28 order.
Nomination Papers of Maryam Nawaz Challenged by Citizen
Meanwhile, in Sargodha’s PP-80 constituency, a citizen has raised objections to the nomination papers of Maryam Nawaz, the Chief Organiser of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).
The individual submitted a challenge to Maryam Nawaz’s nomination papers at the returning officer’s office, asserting that her signatures on the documents are ‘fake,’ and she has been convicted in multiple cases.
The challenger urged the returning officer to reject Maryam Nawaz’s nomination papers for PP-80 Sargodha.
Maryam Nawaz, a prominent PML-N leader, has filed nomination papers for six seats in the upcoming general elections. She submitted papers for NA-119 and NA-120 in Lahore, as well as PP-80, PP-159, PP-160, and PP-165.
As part of the election process, the ongoing stage involves the scrutiny of candidates’ nomination papers after the submission phase, which ended on December 24.
