ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) has challenged the candidature of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) hopefuls for two Senate seats from the federal capital.

PTI Information Secretary Dr Shireen Mazari filed a petition before the Islamabad High Court (IHC), maintaining that PML-N’s candidates Iqbal Zafar Jhagra and Raheela Magsi could not contest elections from the federal capital because they were not local residents of Islamabad.

In the petition filed through her counsel Barrister Shoaib Razzaq, Dr Mazari alleged that it was the right of locals – not outsiders – to represent the federal capital in the Senate.

The outgoing PML-N Senator Zafar Ali Shah is of the view that there is no constitutional bar on contesting the Senate elections from one province or another.

Iqbal Zafar Jhagra claims NA 48 MNA Asad Umar is also ‘an outsider’

The incumbent Member National Assembly from NA-48 Islamabad – PTI’s Asad Umar – he points out, is also ‘an outsider’ as he belonged to Karachi.

“When Asad Umar can contest elections from Islamabad, there should be no restriction for others to contest the Senate elections,” he said.

Mr Jhagra told Dawn that Dr Mazari should file her objections before the Election Commission of Pakistan if she had reservations on his candidature.

“The date for filing objections on nomination papers was February 23-24, but instead of approaching the ECP, she has filed the petition in the IHC,” he said. “Since the matter is in court, we should let the court to decide this matter,” he added.

Zahid Kazmi, PTI’s Central Secretary Public Relations and General Secretary North, said that Asad Umar was elected through a direct election from a constituency of the National Assembly.

“The dynamics of Senate elections are altogether different, therefore it could only be contested by locals,” he said.

If Mr Jhagra and Ms Magsi contested direct elections from any constituency of the National Assembly, PTI would never raise any objection against them, he added.

The IHC registrar’s office, meanwhile, raised objections on the petition, saying that Dr Mazari had no locus standi in the matter. The petition, however, has been fixed before a two-member division bench and will be heard on Thursday.

The petition alleges that the ECP could not accept nomination papers of Mr Jhagra and Ms Magsi as both of them were not local residents.

It claimed that the provinces have equal representation in the Upper House, therefore as per scheme of the Constitution, only local residents of any specific territory or province could contest the elections for the vacant seats for their respective areas.

The petition stated that Section 20 of the Electoral Rolls Act, 1974 barred the transfer of votes from one constituency to another after the election schedule was announced.

Published in Dawn, February 26th, 2015

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