PTI founder appeal plea against rejection of his nomination papers accepted for hearing

RAWALPINDI, Jan 04 (Online): Special Election Tribunal (SET) of Lahore High Court (LHC) Rawalpindi bench while accepting for hearing the appeal plea of PTI founder against the rejection of his nomination papers from NA -89 (Mianwali-1) has issued notice to the respondents.

The court has fixed January 7 to hear the appeal plea.
Umair Niazi, Malik Jawad Asghar and Raja Yasir Sharif counsels for PTI founder appeared before the SET during the preliminary hearing.

Former chairman PTI had taken plea in the appeal that his nomination papers have been rejected with the objections that a sum of Rs 3688680 are payable by the petitioner to social security department for the period from July 2022 to October 2023. The petitioner has been convicted and awarded sentence by the court and Election Commission (EC) has disqualified him.

The petitioner while terming the Returning Officer (RO) decision unconstitutional. illegal and against the facts has taken plea in the appeal these dues are not payable by him being chairperson of Namal University. In this regard no notice has ever been issued to the petitioner. Likewise the EC is not authorized under election act – 2017 to issue orders for disqualification.

The petitioner has requested the court his appeal plea be accepted besides nullifying the RO’s December 31 decision. The nomination papers of the petitioner be declared in order and he be allowed to participate in election.

It is pertinent to mention here that 3 complainants had raised separate objections on nomination papers of PTI founder.

Khurram Hamid candidate from constituency NA-89 had raised objection that the former chairman PTI being convicted does not come upto article 62 of the constitution.

Candidate Khalil ur Rehman had objected that former chairman PTI is not only convicted but also a security risk for the country.
The signatures made on his nomination papers are incorrect and fake.
Deputy director Punjab Employees social security institution Jauharabad had said in his objection that a sum of Rs 3688680 are payable by the PTI founder to social security department for the period from July 2022 to October 2023.