Lahore (August 21, 2017) An Election Tribunal on Monday rejected the petitions filed by Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) challenging Returning Officer’s decision to accept the nomination papers of Kulsoom Nawaz for NA-120 by-election.
The Tribunal comprising LHC judge heard the petitions filed by PPP and PAT candidate Faisal Mir and Ishtiaq Chaudhry, respectively.
After hearing the arguments of the counsels of the petitioners, the tribunal rejected the petitions.
Both the contestants have challenged the decision of RO to accept the nomination papers of the their rival PML-N candidate Kulsoom Nawaz.
PPP candidate Mir had contended PML-N hopeful had discrepancies in the declarations submitted in her nomination papers.
He had said PPP had provided copies of the recent judgment of the Supreme Court of Pakistan (SCP) in the Panama case, along with a heap of other evidence. “However, the RO ignored all evidence and took just five minutes to accept the nomination papers,” he submitted.
Kulsoom Nawaz had mentioned in her nomination papers that neither she nor her husband had any company in Pakistan or abroad. On the other hand, the Panama case heard by the apex court unveiled over 15 companies, including Capital FZE in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). In that particular entity, Kulsoom was deputy chairperson along with her husband Muhammad Nawaz Sharif. Though it was sufficient to disqualify the PML-N candidate over these allegations, the RO ignored the top court’s order, he maintained.
He pleaded the Tribunal to overturn RO decision to accept Kulsoom Nawaz’s nomination papers.
The seat fell vacant after Nawaz Sharif’s disqualification by Supreme Court of Pakistan in Panama case.
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