KOHAT: The Awami National Party received a setback when the election commission rejected nomination papers of its candidate Arshad Bashir Khattak for National Assembly’s constituency NA-32, Kohat, over his dual nationality.

An official of the election commission, Nauman Khan, told this correspondent on Sunday that under the rules he (Khattak) would have to surrender his US nationality to contest elections.

The nomination of another NA-32 candidate Obaidullah Haideri were rejected because he did not show his bank account while that of Johar Saifullah, who was a covering candidate for his brother Gohar Saifullah of JUI-F, because he did not resign as local body member.

Similarly, from PK-81 papers of Wazir Rehman were rejected for wrong filling of forms while that of Mohamnmad Fayyaz for PK-80 as he had to file papers for PK-82. The papers of Mohammad Faheem from PK-80 were rejected because he was a member of local council and Basit for wrong filling of the form.

From PK-82 the nomination papers of Syed Mehtabul Hassan were rejected because he was a chairman of his union council.

Meanwhile, the workers and local cabinet of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf, who were told by former MNA Shehryar Afridi that he had accepted the ticket for NA-32 on the assurance of Imran Khan that retired Lt-Gen Iftikhar Hussain Shah would be given ticket for PK-82, were dismayed over delay in the award of ticket to him.

When contacted, PTI district president Aftab Alam quoted Mr Shehryar as telling him that the parliamentary board had promised him to give the ticket to Iftikhar Hussain.

Mr Nauman said that Iftikhar Hussain had not applied for filling of the ticket column till Sunday and he had filed his nomination papers as an independent candidate for PK-82.

Meanwhile, deputy commissioner, Kohat, Khalid Ilyas said that all available resources will be utilised for security and peaceful conduct of the elections.

Chairing a meeting at his office, he asked the quarters concerned to take stringent measures for ensuring safe transportation of election material, safety of staff and voters and security inside and outside polling stations.

Published in Dawn, June 25th, 2018