KARACHI, Dec 4: An election tribunal issued notices on Tuesday to the Election Commission, the advocate-general, the returning officers and other respondents in four appeals filed by three candidates against rejection of their nominations or acceptance of their rivals’ papers.

The first two appeals questioned the acceptance of PPP candidates Zulfiqar Ali Mirza and Fahmida Mirza from NA-225 (Badin-II). Appellant Shuja Ali Shah, a rival contestant, submitted through Advocate Sofia Saeed that both were directors of the Mirza Sugar Mills, a defaulter concern. They were severally and jointly liable for repayment of loans and other dues and were ineligible to contest the elections under the law and rules. The objection was raised before the returning officer but was overruled by him, the appellant said.

The tribunal, which consisted of Justices Khwaja Naveed Ahmed and Khalid Ali Z. Qazi, issued notices to the respondents for Dec 7. Advocate S.M. Iqbal, who accepted the notices on behalf of the respondent candidates, said the same objection was raised in 2002 but was rejected.

Candidate Nisar Ahmed Qazi contended in his appeal that his nomination papers were wrongly rejected from NA-220 (Hyderabad-II) for not being a graduate. He said the Election Rules, 2007, did not prescribe any academic qualification for candidates and he was eligible to contest the Jan 8 polls. Notices were issued to the respondents for Dec 6.

Former MQM federal minister Syed Safwanullah submitted that he had submitted three nomination papers for election from NA-251 (Karachi, South). The proposer and seconder in one paper were not listed as voters in the constituency while the other two nominations were validly proposed and seconded by the voters of the constituency. The returning officer first took up his nomination by outsiders and rejected all three papers. Notices in the appeal were issued for Dec 6.

Meanwhile, PPP candidate Saeed Ghani has also filed an appeal against rejection of his nomination papers from NA-251. He said his papers were rejected on account of his being a sitting nazim of a union council. He said the disqualification was contained in the Sindh Local Government Ordinance but not in the Representation of People Act or the Constitution. An elected representative of the local government was fully competent to contest the national and provincial polls, he contended through Advocate Adnan Karim. The appeal is listed for hearing on Wednesday.

Zahoor Ali Bozdar, Nazim, Union Council 22, Ranipur, Taluka Sobhodero, Khairpur district, has also questioned the rejection of his nomination papers for PS-33, Khairpur-V, on the same ground. He has also alleged that his rival was a defaulter.

Former PPP provincial minister Pir Mazharul Haq has challenged rejection of his nomination for PS-74, Dadu-I, on account of his conviction under the Ehtesab Act, 1997. He says that all convictions and proceedings under the accountability laws have been quashed under the National Reconciliation Ordinance.