ISLAMABAD: The returning officer of NA-53, mostly urban area of Islamabad, partially cleared the nomination papers of former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Ayesha Gulalai.

The RO, Additional District and Sessions Judge (ADSJ) Mohammad Adnan Khan, put off scrutiny of PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s nomination papers since neither he nor his counsel Dr Babar Awan appeared before him.Likewise, RO for NA-52 ADSJ Fiazan Haider also deferred scrutiny of the nomination papers PML-N candidate Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, PTI’s Raja Khurram Nawaz and PPP’s Afzal Khokhar.

The RO took up objections filed by Abdul Wahab Baloch, a candidate of Justice and Democratic Party Pakistan headed by former chief justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry.

Mr Baloch questioned the eligibility of Mr Khan for not being sagacious and righteous since he allegedly concealed his daughter Tyrian Jade White.

Advocate Ahsanuddin Sheikh, Salheen Mughal and Amir Mughal representing Mr Baloch argued that the nomination papers of Mr Khan be rejected for such a concealment.

An associate of Mr Babar Awan informed the RO that since similar objections were raised by a candidate in Lahore, Mr Khan and his counsel could not appear on Monday.

He suggested that if the RO put off the matter till 8pm, Mr Awan might argue the case. The RO adjourned the scrutiny to Tuesday.

He partially accepted nomination papers of Ayesha Gulali. The only objection on her nomination paper was that she had not got her copy of computerised national identity card (CNIC) attested by an authorised officer.

Likewise, the RO pointed out that tax returns of former PM Abbasi for the year 2015-2016 were not attached and directed his counsel to provide the same by Tuesday.

ROs of NA-52 and NA-53 would forward the results of scrutiny to District Returning Officer (DRO) Sohail Nasir on Tuesday evening for onward submission to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

The RO for NA-54 has already accepted the nomination papers of Anjum Aqeel Khan of the PML-N, Asad Umar of PTI, Raja Imran Ashraf of PPP and Mian Aslam of Muttahid Majlis-i-Amal (MMA).

Published in Dawn, June 19th, 2018