ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) will come closer electoral courts on Monday to challenge the rejection of the nomination documents of scores of your candidatesincluding party founder Imran Khan, Dawn reported.
This comes a day after most of his nominees failed to pass scrutiny of nomination papers submitted for the 2024 general elections.
Party Central Information Secretary Raoof Hasan said all rejected nomination papers will be challenged. Hasan said as per rules, rejection of nomination papers will be initially challenged in court and then other options will be explored.
Similarly, PTI Central Punjab additional general secretary Sardar Azeemullah Khan said the party had asked all candidates to file appeals against the decisions of the ROs. He added that some candidates would file appeals to the appeal courts through private lawyers, while others would be offered the party’s help.
“The candidates have collected the certified copies of ‘rejection decisions’ from the respective ROs on Sunday and will start filing appeals before the appellate courts from today,” he told Dawn.
Earlier, on December 30, the Election Commission of Pakistan rejected dozens of PTI nomination forms across the country, a move the former ruling party decided to challenge in relevant forums.
Separately, advocate Gohar Khan and advocate Umair Khan Niazi will meet party founder Imran Khan at Adiala Jail on Monday to seek his approval for selection of party candidates and consequent allotment of tickets.
According to Central Punjab nomination papers data, 281 candidates filed their papers for 44 NA constituencies, of which 95 were rejected, while 186 were accepted.
The PTI leaders alleged that the ROs appointed from among the civil bureaucracy did not exercise their powers and decision-making and instead waited for orders coming from “interested areas”.
Citing a glaring example, PTI leaders said RO for NA-132 (Kasur-II) issued and displayed the “list of validly nominated candidates” which included PTI candidate Muhammad Saleem among a total of 19 candidates.
However, the RO later issued a revised list of valid candidates, which reflected only 18 candidates minus Muhammad Saleem, Dawn reported.
Notably, PTI candidate Sardar Azeemullah Khan had earlier reported that his nomination papers were examined and found to be accurate, but the RO said he would issue a certificate only after receiving a confidential report from Islamabad.
Separately, the PTI also launched a ‘WhatsApp’ account to seek video and photographic evidence of “pre-poll rigging” in the run-up to the polls, Dawn reported.
“If you see or observe any pre-poll fraud in any constituency, please send details with photographs and videos to PTI SMT on the given number,” read a message shared on PTI’s social media.