LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s candidate for NA-133, Lahore’s by-poll Jamshed Cheema and his wife, being a covering candidate, have approached the Lahore High Court against the rejection of their nomination papers by the returning officer and an election tribunal.

In their writ petition, they also asked the high court to suspend the schedule for the by-election till final decision of the case.

The RO had rejected the nomination papers of the couple on the basis that their proposer was not a registered voter of the constituency. They challenged the decision before the election tribunal, which also dismissed their appeal and upheld the rejection of the papers.

PML-N’s voters had challenged the nomination papers of the PTI’s candidates saying proposer Bilal Hussain was not qualified to subscribe the papers of the duo under the Elections Act, 2017.

Lahore’s constituency had fallen vacant due to the death of PML-N’s MNA Pervaiz Malik.

The ECP announced a by-poll to fill the vacancy on Dec 5 and PML-N announced Malik’s widow Shaista Pervaiz Malik as its candidate.

Published in Dawn, November 10th, 2021