(Karachi) In a major blow to Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N), an Election Tribunal has rejected party's senior leader Pervaiz Rashid’s appeal against the rejection of his nomination papers by a returning officer, local media reported on Tuesday. Rashid has been declared ineligible to contest Senate polls.

The ruling was issued by Justice Shahid Waheed after the arguments in the case had finished.

PTI MPA Zainab Omar had filed an objection against Rashid through her lawyer Rana Mudassar to the returning officer/provincial election commissioner in Lahore.

Last week, the PML-N leader had challenged the Election Commission of Pakistan's (ECP) decision to reject his nomination papers for the upcoming Senate election.

In his appeal, Rashid stated that the returning officer of the ECP "unlawfully rejected the nomination papers," adding that he was ready to deposit Rs9.5 million to the administration of the Punjab House as required by the ECP for the purpose but he did not receive the related bank details.

He had approached the tribunal a day after Rashid's nomination papers had been rejected by the ECP on allegations that he had defaulted on payments that were to be made to the Punjab House.

The Punjab government had released a list of people in 2018 who had not cleared their bills for staying and taking meals at the Punjab House. Rashid was among those who were named in the list.