December 04, 2007	Tuesday	Ziqa'ad 23, 1428

FAISALABAD, Dec 3: The returning officer concerned on Monday rejected the nomination papers of Nawab Sher Wasir for NA-76, Jaranwala, who had switched over to Pakistan People’s Party from Pakistan Muslim League-Q and been twice an MPA.

Sources said the objection raised to Mr Wasir’s papers was that during his service in the Pakistan Air Force he was punished on some charges so he did not qualify to fight for the slot.

Earlier, at the RO office, the sources said, Mr Wasir lashed out at the former federal privatisation minister Wasi Zafar calling his cronies corrupt.

Eyewitness said Mr Wasir, who was MPA in 1988 and 1993, also contended if corrupt officials supported by the government could contest election, why he could not. Mr Wasi Zafar and some activists of the PML-Q were also present inside the RO office.

The RO declaring the remarks of Mr Wasir intolerable rejected his nomination papers on the ground of the objections raised against him.

Mr Wasir was a PPP candidate in 1988 elections for PP-44, Faisalabad II, and he got 19,798 votes. The party again fielded him for the slot in 1993 and he bagged 24,173 votes against PML-N candidate Khalid Mehmood who got 17,317 votes.

Wasir’s son Raza Shahid Wasir, has been the parliamentary secretary of Information Technology, but tendered his resignation owing to differences with the PML-Q leaders.

Following the RO’s decision, Mr Wasir has filed an appeal with the election tribunal seeking removal of the orders.

Talking to Dawn, Mr Wasir, who is contesting his first election for a national assembly slot, said his utterances against the government-backed candidates resulted in rejection of his papers. However, he said he was hoping a `positive’ decision by the tribunal as the objections were baseless. “I am campaigning in my constituency enthusiastically, hoping a favourable decision by the tribunal.”

Mr Wasir said he would not succumb to the government pressure and be loyal to the PPP.

PPP district president Farooq Saeed termed the rejection of Mr Wasir’s papers ridiculous saying how a person could be disqualified after he had been twice an MPA and also an advisor to the chief minister.

Meanwhile, the PML-Q has decided to field Mr Zahid Nazir as candidate in NA-76 instead of Wasi Zafar. However, the latter, sources said has decided to contest the election as independent candidate.