LAHORE: An election tribunal comprising a Lahore High Court judge on Wednesday allowed former prime minister Imran Khan to contest a by-poll from NA-108, Faisalabad, and also dismissed an appeal challenging acceptance of his nomination papers from NA-118, Nankana Sahib.

Tribunal’s member Justice Shahid Waheed observed that the scope of the tribunal was limited and the questions raised in the appeals could be decided in an election petition after a by-election.

Imran Khan had filed an appeal against rejection of his nomination papers by the returning officer (RO) of NA-108 while Dr Shezra Mansab Kharal, a candidate of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz from NA-118 had challenged acceptance of Khan’s nomination papers for a by-poll.

Earlier Barrister Ali Zafar argued on behalf of Khan that the RO ignored the facts and rejected the papers of the appellant against the law. He said his nomination papers for a by-election in other constituencies had already been accepted.

He asked the tribunal to set aside the RO’s decision and allow him to contest a by-election in NA-108. Mansoor Usman Awan on behalf of the PML-N’s candidate from NA-118 argued that Imran Khan did not disclose, in his nomination papers, the gifts he had received from Toshakhana. He said Khan also failed to disclose the details of assets owned by him and his wife. The counsel further argued that the nomination papers filed by the PTI chairman were not attested by an oath commissioner as required by the law.

He therefore asked the tribunal to set aside the RO’s decision and reject the nomination papers of Imran Khan for NA-118 by-election. The judge observed that nomination papers could not be rejected merely on the basis of incomplete information.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022