LAHORE: The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) have challenged nomination papers of Begum Kalsoom Nawaz on the vacant seat of her husband – disqualified premier Nawaz Sharif – in the by-elections before the Election Commission of Pakistan by raising 10 direct charges for her illegibility as a candidate in the constituency NA-120. Candidates Faisal Mir of the PPP and Ishtiaque Chaudhry of the PAT separately filed the petitions before the returning officer at the provincial election commission office on Tuesday in which they demanded the election commission not to allow her contest the by-elections on some legal, constitutional and technical grounds. After filing their petitions, they talked to the media and said that Kalsoom as a dependent of disqualified premier Nawaz Sharif could not participate in elections like her husband, who had been disqualified by the Supreme Court in Panama leaks case. According to the petition by PPP candidate Faisal Mir, Kasloom Nawaz had failed to disclose her true financial statement; she failed to disclose the assets directly and indirectly in her use; she had deliberately and with mala fide intent concealed the sources of finances beneficial to her; she does not qualify for the forthcoming elections under articles 62 and 63 of the constitution; she has sworn to win the elections by rigging, harassment, malpractice, corruption and to keep their earlier corruption intact; with a view to keep the state department and honest functionaries under stress by forcing them not to proceed against Kalsoom Nawaz’s husband and family, the respondent being dependant of the money laundering mafia; she has deliberately not mentioned her ex-Pakistan citizenship and Iqamah arrangements; the nomination papers filed by Kalsoom Nawaz from the platform of the PML-N is a mockery of the law and the constitution as notification to replace the PML-N presidentship and chairmanship has been issued by the ECP; under articles 189 and 190 of the constitution, the subordinate courts and the state machinery are bound to implement the orders of the Supreme Court; and she is a direct beneficial owner of all the assets involved in JIT probe and subject matter of the NAB references pending and to be filed for the national accountability and recovery of public funds. The RO nominated by the ECP for NA-120 has called both the candidates – PML-N’s Kalsoom Nawaz as well as PTI’s Dr Yasmin Rashid – for scrutiny of their nomination papers tomorrow (Thursday). It is pertinent to mention here that a covering candidate from the PML-N named Hafiz Nauman has filed his nomination papers and he has also been called by the RO on the same day as per the schedule of the by-elections in NA-120. Published in Daily Times, August 16th 2017.