LAHORE: Several political heavyweights were on Tuesday cleared to contest the upcoming elections as objections raised on their nomination papers were dismissed by the Election Appellate Tribunal in Islamabad. Former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi’s nomination papers were approved from Islamabad’s NA-53 constituency. The RO had dismissed the papers for his failure to fill out a specific clause in the affidavit. The Islamabad tribunal also cleared the way for former PTI leader Ayesha Gulalai to contest from NA-53. In Sialkot, an election tribunal rejected an appeal against the candidature of PML-N’s Khawaja Asif from NA-73 Sialkot-II. The petitioner had alleged that Asif’s papers lacked key information about his assets. The appellate tribunal dismissed the petition, terming it non-maintainable. Also on Tuesday, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Firdous Ashiq Awan was given the green signal to contest the election from NA-72 Sialkot-I constituency. In his objection on Awan’s candidacy, a petitioner, Zaid Lateef, had maintained that she did not fill out a column carrying details of her marriage and offspring. Justice Syed Shahbaz Ali Rizvi rejected the petition, stating that the returning officer had accepted Awan’s nomination papers as per the law. In Karachi, an election tribunal at the Sindh High Court cleared Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan leader Dr Farooq Sattar to contest the election from NA-245. Sattar’s nomination papers had been rejected by the RO on ground that information about two criminal cases registered against him was missing. During the hearing on Tuesday, Sattar told the court that he had obtained bail in the two cases. Subsequently, the RO’s rejection was ruled to be void. In Multan, former prime minister and Pakistan Peoples Party leader Yusuf Raza Gillani was conditionally allowed to contest the upcoming elections. Hearing objections over Gillani’s papers over a loans case, appellate tribunal judge Qazi Amin Ahmed permitted the veteran politician to contest the election after he pledged his agriculture lands in Rajanpur as collateral. Speaking after the verdict, Gillani said that those who had objected to his papers were themselves court absconders, adding that he would win the election with a huge margin. Further, Gillani said that it was during his premiership that the constitution was restored. “Zulfikar Ali Bhutto created the constitution, but I restored it,” he said, adding that objections against his nomination papers was nothing new. “Cases were made against me but I was acquitted on all occassions.” Gilani, who did not contest the previous election because of his five-year disqualification in a contempt of court case, is contesting from NA-158 Multan. His sons Abdul Qadir Gilani, Ali Haider Gilani, and Ali Musa Gillani are also contesting the upcoming elections. Separately in Balochistan, an appellate tribunal of the Balochistan High Court (BHC) dismissed an appeal filed by PTI provincial chief Sardar Yar Muhammad Rind against a returning officer’s rejection of his nomination papers for NA-260 and PB-17 Jhal Magsi. Justice Hashim Kakar upheld the RO’s verdict, declaring the PTI Balochistan president ineligible to run in the upcoming general elections. The RO had rejected his papers citing discrepancies in his education certificates and concealment of assets details. Later in the day, the PTI leader filed an appeal in the high court, challenging the appellate tribunal’s verdict. His nomination papers for a provincial assembly seat in Sibbi have already been accepted. PPP provincial president Ali Madad Jattak’s appeal against the returning officer’s rejection of his nomination papers for PB-31 was also rejected. He then announced to approach the high court against the verdict. Meanwhile, PTI chairman Imran Khan’s failure to show up at the hearing of his appeal against dismissal of his nomination papers in NA-35 Bannu constituency, led to adjournment of proceedings for a day. Published in Daily Times, June 27th 2018.