PESHAWAR: The Election Commission of Pakistan has rejected the nomination papers of 10 candidates for the forthcoming Senate election from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including PTI’s Azam Khan Swati, Murad Saeed and PTI-P chairman Mahmood Khan.

Among the rejected candidates, nine had filed papers on the general seats and one on the seats reserved for women.

The ECP also accepted the nomination papers of 31 candidates after the provincial election commissioner, who is deputed as returning officer for the Senate elections, completed the scrutiny of papers.

The nomination papers of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf-Parliamentarians chairman Mahmood Khan were rejected on the grounds that his seconder, MPA-elect Nadia Sher, had not taken oath.

Similarly, PTI leader Murad Saeed was absconder in the May 9, 2023 violence cases, while PML-N leader Capt retired Mohammad Safdar had raised objections to the candidature of Azam Khan Swati that he was not fulfilling the criteria to contest elections on seats for technocrats.

Among those whose nomination papers were accepted on general seats include Irfan Saleem, Dilawar Khan, Mirza Mohammad Afridi, Faisal Javed, Mohammad Talha Mahmood, Azhar Qazi Mashwani, Niaz Ahmed, Mohammad Waqas Orakzai, Fazli Hanan, Faizur Rehman, Attaul Haq, Shafaqat Ayaz, Asif Rafiq, Taj Mohammad Afridi and Noorul Haq Qadri.

Nomination papers of Syed Irshad Hussain, Qazi Mohammad Anwar, Waqar Ahmad Qazi, Khalid Masood, Fazli Hanan, Dilawar Khan, Qaiser Khan and Noorul Haq Qadri have been accepted for the seats of technocrat.

Similarly, nomination papers of Mahvesh Ali Khan, Ayesha Bano, Rubina Naaz, Begum Tahir Bukhari, Rubina Khalid and Shazia were accepted for the seats reserved for women.

Published in Dawn, March 21st, 2024