QUETTA: An election tribunal on Thursday granted permission to Balochistan National Party (BNP-M) chief Sardar Akhtar Mengal and 88 other candidates to contest elections.

Sardar Mengal had filed his nomination papers for three National and one Balochistan Assembly seats, which were rejected by the returning officers (ROs) after scrutiny on the grounds of having a UAE Aqama, which was not declared in the nomination papers.

Sardar Mengal challenged the RO’s decision in the election tribunal and appealed to accept his nomination papers and allow him to take part in the upcoming elections.

The judge of the tribunal, Justice Muhammad Hashim Kakar, after hearing the appeal, granted permission to Sardar Mengal on NA-264-Quetta, rejecting the RO’s decision.

“If papers are rejected on the grounds of Aqama, then many other big names would be affected,” Justice Kakar remark­­ed. The three other appeals of Sardar Mengal were under trial.

Tribunal issues notices over objections to nomination papers of Jamal Raisani, Jam Kamal

The tribunal, comprising Justice Kakar and Justice Aamir Nawaz Rana, also allowed 88 other candidates from different political

parties, including PTI and the newly formed Pashtoonkhwa National Awami Party (PkNAP), to contest elections by rejecting the

RO’s objections to the nomination papers.

The chairman of PkNAP, Khushhal Khan Kakar, was contesting the election from NA-264 (Quetta-III).

The election tribunal heard 158 appeals filed by candidates from different parties against the rejection of their nomination papers.

The tribunal also issued notices to the respondents who had filed objections against the acceptance of the nomination papers of Nawabzada Jamal Khan Raisani and Jam Mir Kamal Khan Alyani.

The secretary-general of Balochistan Awami Party (BAP), Senator Manzoor Ahmed Kakar, Majeed Khan Achakzai of PkMAP, and Malik Naseer Ahmed Kakar were also part of the proceedings.

Published in Dawn, January 5th, 2024