The appellate tribunal, set up by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), on Tuesday issued notices to the Advocate General, Sindh, and the ECP on four applications, challenging nomination papers filed for general seats in Sindh and National assemblies.
The tribunal, comprising two judges of Sindh High Court, including Justice Naveed A. Khwaja and Justice Khalid Ali Z. Qazi, issued notices after hearing four application, out of six, filed by various candidates claiming that their papers were rejected on false grounds. On an appeal an independent candidate Qazi Nasir Ahmed, who filed papers from the constituency of NA-220 Hyderabad, the tribunal issued notice to the ECP for December 6.
The papers of Qazi Nasir were rejected by the concerned returning officer on unavailability of degree. On separate appeals of Zulfiqar Mirza and Dr Fehmida Mirza of Pakistan Peoples Party, the tribunal issued notice to AG, Sindh, for December 7.
The papers of Dr Fehmida Mirza from the constituency of NA-225 were rejected on the complaint of one Shujaat, who is also contesting from the same constituency, claiming that the couple were defaulter of Habib Bank Limited. On another appleal of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) candidate Syed Safwanullah from the constituency of NA-251 Karachi, the tribunal issued notices to the AG, Sindh, and the ECP for December 6.
The objection on his paper is that the proposer of Safwanullah does not belong to constituency for which he is contesting. The applications of PPPP candidate, Saeed Ghani for NA-251, and Zahoor Ali Bozdar of Khairpur candidate from the constituency of PS-33 will be heard later.
On Saeed Ghani's papers, former Sindh ministers Waseem Akhtar and Rauf Siddiqi raised objection that he is a union council Nazim, as such he could not participate in the elections. Zahoor Ali Bozdar has made Saeed Fayyaz respondent, also contesting from the constituency of PS-33, as the latter raised the objection that Bozdar was a union council Nazim and could not be allowed to contest the polls.