Daily Times

The election tribunal during a hearing of the objections on nominations for different constituencies held on Monday, allowed Muttahida Majlis-e-Aamal (MMA) candidate Asadullah Bhutto to contest the elections from NA-242.

Jamaat-e-Islami’s (JI) Sindh Ameer (head) Asadullah Bhutto’s nomination papers were rejected for NA-242 Karachi on the basis of his name being on the defaulters’ list. However, Bhutto denied being a defaulter, stating this was an error by the bank.

During the hearing, Bhutto’s lawyer provided a letter from the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) to the tribunal. The letter stated that Asadullah Bhutto had no connection with the company that he was believed to have defaulted from. The election tribunal then allowed Asadullah Bhutto to contest the elections from NA-242.

Abdul Qadir Patel of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) was allowed to contest election from NA-248, Abdul Qadir’s nomination papers were previously rejected due to his failure to declare property. Munim Zafar of MMA was also allowed by election tribunal to contest elections from NA-243.

The election tribunal also rejected an appeal against the nomination papers of Maulana Aurangzaib Farooqui of Ahle-Sunnat Wal Jamaat (ASWJ) and allowed him to take part in election from PS-91.

The applicant Rashid Rizvi had filed an appeal stating that Aurangzaib Farooqui belong to a banned organisation and he was also wanted in many criminal cases.

However, the election tribunal rejected the application on the grounds that the applicant failed to provide sufficient evidence against Farooqui.

The election tribunal also allowed former chief minister Murad Ali Shah to contest election and rejected objection that Shah had hidden his dual nationality and he did not fulfill the criteria prescribed under articles 62 and 63 of the Constitution.

The tribunal said that Murad Ali Shah’s dual nationality was not proven.

The election tribunal did not allow Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM)’s Mohammad Salahuddin and Howard John to contest the elections. The tribunal also did not allow All Pakistan Muslim League (APML)’s candidate Haider Abbas to contest elections from PS-101.

Published in Daily Times, June 26^th 2018.