Daily Times

LAHORE: In response to objections raised against PTI chairman Imran Khan’s candidacy for election in NA-53 Islamabad, his counsel Babar Awan’s assistant submitted on Monday that the objections were baseless and amounted just to conjecture.

The objections concern the PTI chairman’s submission of photocopied documents along with his nomination papers. The written response says, “There is a legal mechanism in place to send or receive documents from foreign countries,” adding that objections raised against Imran’s candidacy are mere allegations.

Earlier in the day, Imran and his counsel, Babar Awan, excused from appearing before returning officers for the scrutiny of his nomination papers for NA-53 (Islamabad), because they had to appear before the ECP in Lahore.

A day earlier, the ECP had summoned Imran, PML-N leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Aisha Gulalai, the leader of PTI-Gulali, for the scrutiny process in NA-53.

Meanwhile, Lahore’s NA-125, formerly NA-120, is all set to see a tough contest between PML-N leader Maryam Nawaz, who spearheaded her mother’s by-poll campaign in the constituency in 2017, and PTI’s Yasmeen Rashid, who has significantly increased her popularity among voters of the area since 2013.

Maryam’s nomination papers were cleared of all objections raised by her PTI opponent by the returning officer, Asif Bashir, on Monday. The PML-N leader has also filed nomination papers for NA-127 but is expected to contest the elections from NA-125, the traditional stronghold of the Sharif family.

The constituency was won by former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in 2013 and by his wife, Begum Kulsoom Nawaz, following his disqualification in 2017. Due to her illness, Begum Kulsoom could not lead the campaign herself, and Maryam took charge in her absence. Though the PML-N managed to defeat PTI in the by-poll with a margin of over 14,000 votes, the party saw the winning margin decline compared to 2013 as more and more polling stations of the party’s traditional stronghold proved competitive.

Other key contestants whose papers were approved on Monday were PML-N leader Khawaja Asif and PTI leader Usman Dar, who will contest for an NA seat in Sialkot.

Also on Monday, PTI candidate for NA-72 Sialkot, Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan, and PML-N candidate for the same constituency were given a day to respond to objections raised on their nomination papers. The two contestants have been accused of not disclosing in their papers companies registered in their name with the Federal Bureau of Revenue. Objections were also raised on the nomination papers of PTI candidate Ayesha Nazir Jutt, accused of concealing iqama (work permit).

Among those whose nomination papers were rejected on Monday were PTI candidate for PP-127 Jhang, Aslam Bharwana, and MQM-Pakistan leader Khawaja Izhar (NA-247).

ROs across the country are set to complete the scrutiny of nomination papers on June 19 (today) as per the revised election schedule. The last date for filing appeals against the acceptance or rejection of nomination papers by the ROs is June 22, whereas the last date for a decision on the appeals by election tribunals is June 27.

Similarly, the revised lists of nominated candidates will be published on June 28 while the last date for withdrawal of candidature will be June 29.

Moreover, the date for allocation of electoral symbols and publication of the final list of contesting candidates will be June 30.

Published in Daily Times, June 19^th 2018.