ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan on Wednesday filed an appeal against the rejection of his candidacy for Islamabad’s NA-53 constituency. In his appeal, submitted to the appellate tribunal by his lawyer Babar Awan, Khan has pleaded that the tribunal should reject the decision of the returning officer (RO). The appeal states that the RO’s decision is against the Constitution. According to the registrar of the Islamabad High Court, Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani will hear the appeal on Thursday (today). On Tuesday, the RO for NA-53 had rejected Khan’s nomination papers on technical grounds. For similar reasons, nomination papers of former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi as well as his covering candidate Mehtab Abbasi, a former federal minister and governor, and Ayesha Gulalai, a member of PTI-Gulalail, were also rejected for the constituency. As the ECP concluded the scrutiny of nomination papers on Tuesday, it formed six appellate tribunals in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, eight in Punjab, four in Sindh, two in Balochistan and one in Islamabad to hear the appeals. Candidates whose nominations have been rejected can file appeals till June 22. The decision on the appeals will be made by June 27, after which the revised list of the candidates will be shared on June 28. The last date for withdrawal of candidature will be June 29. Published in Daily Times, June 21st 2018.