HARIPUR: Turning down the rejection of their nomination papers by the returning officer, the appellate tribunal for Hazara division on Monday allowed three candidates to contest the July 25 election in PK-42 Haripur-III.

Among them are ANP candidate Shaukat Mashwani and independents Dr Faiza Rasheed and Gohar Nawaz Khan.

PK-42 returning officer Abdul Qayyum Siddiqi had stopped 13 ofthe total 18 candidates on June 19 from contesting elections after finding their nomination papers to be incomplete. Most of them had concealed assets, nationalityand criminal records.

They’re among 13 whose nomination papers were rejected by returning officer

Among those shunted out of the election race were former PTI MPA and independent candidate Faisal Zaman Jahazanwala, former Qaumi Watan Party MPA and independent contestant Gohar Nawaz Khan, former PPP MPA and independent candidate Dr Faiza Rasheed, PML-N nominee Sahibzada Qasim shah, PTI candidate Malik Tahir Iqbal, ANP contender Shaukat Mashwani, Malik Adeel, Saima Khalid, Irshad Khan, Zahid Khan, Khanzeb, Shaukat Bilal and Rizwan Saeed Mughal.

The nomination papers of Dr Faiza were rejected for concealing assets, Gohar Nawaz’s for not producing details of criminal cases against him, Malik Tahir Iqbal and Qasim Shah’s for possessing dual nationality and Faisal Zaman’s for carrying two CNICs.

The RO had declared the nominationpapers of only Mohammad Ahmad Shah, Abdullah Habib, Naseem Akhtar, Sajid Naeem and Mohammad Wasim valid for contesting election in PK-42 Haripur. The candidates, whose papers were rejected, later moved the appellate court for relief.

After holding hearing on Tuesday, Justice Lal Jan Khattak of the appellate tribunal declared the nomination papers ofANP candidate Shaukat Mashwani and independents Dr Faiza Rasheed and Gohar Nawaz Khan valid and thus, allowing them to contest the July 25 election.

The tribunal is likely to decide about the papers of former PTI MPA Faisal Zaman, PML-N candidate Qasim Shah and Malik Tahir Iqbal today (Tuesday).

Published in Dawn, June 26th, 2018