Following the Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT), Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Saturday challenged the approval of Begum Kalsoom Nawaz’s nomination papers for the by-election in NA-120 in the election tribunal.
PPP candidate Faisal Mir and PTI’s Dr Yasmeen Rashid, who are in the run for the National Assembly (NA) seat, challenged the returning officer’s decision of accepting Kalsoom’s nomination papers as the Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) candidate for NA-120. A day earlier, PAT candidate Ishtiaq Chaudhry had filed an election petition in the NA-120 election tribunal challenging her nomination papers.
He claimed that Kalsoom is facing treason charges, which she failed to disclose in her nomination papers. Besides, she holds an Iqama, the working permit of UAE, which is equivalent to holding a dual nationality. Therefore, he argued that she was not eligible to contest the election and requested the court to set aside the returning officer’s decision and declare her ineligible.
Faisal Mir and Ishtiaq Chaudhry had raised nine objections on the Kalsoom’s nomination, under the Representation of Peoples Act 1976, which were rejected by the returning officer. The election tribunal, comprising of Justice Mamoon Rasheed Sheikh and Justice Rasheed Sheikh, will hear and give verdicts on the petitions that challenge the nomination of Kalsoom for NA-120 by-election.
The NA-120 seat fell vacant after the Supreme Court disqualified Nawaz Sharif as the prime minister of the country for concealing his salary from a Dubai-based company, and asked the ECP to issue a notification, removing him as a member of the National Assembly.
