In a significant development, the election tribunal at the Lahore High Court has upheld the rejection of former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s nomination papers for two key constituencies, NA-122 in Lahore and PS 89 of Mianwali. This decision effectively excludes Khan from participating in the upcoming general elections.
Presided over by Justice Tariq Nadeem, the tribunal dismissed Imran Khan’s appeal challenging the rejection of his papers for NA-122. The returning officer’s decision, which stated that the candidate’s endorser did not belong to the constituency, was upheld by the tribunal. Similarly, Judge Chaudhry Abdul Aziz dismissed Khan’s appeal for NA-89, supporting the objections raised by the returning officer.
The tribunal emphasized that Imran Khan’s conviction in the Toshakhana case renders him ineligible to contest the election, stressing that the length of the sentence is irrelevant as long as the conviction stands. Imran Khan’s counsel, Advocate Umair Niazi, expressed dissatisfaction with the decisions and announced intentions to challenge them in the high court before a larger bench.
This development comes after the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) rejected Imran Khan’s nomination papers on December 30, citing his conviction in the Toshakhana case. The ECP highlighted that, according to prevailing circumstances, Imran Khan remains ineligible to participate in elections as long as the conviction stands.
As per the ECP’s election schedule, the tribunals were mandated to conclude the hearing of appeals on this day, with a revised list of candidates expected to be published tomorrow. The withdrawal of nomination papers is scheduled for January 12, and the final list of candidates will be released on the same day. Additionally, the allocation of election symbols to the candidates is slated for January 13, with polling set to take place on February 8, as per the spokesperson of the Election Commission of Pakistan.
