KARACHI, Sept 10: Nine more candidates, whose nomination papers had been rejected by the returning officers, were allowed on Tuesday by the election appellate tribunals to contest the forthcoming elections.

The two tribunals, one comprising Justices Mohammed Roshan Essani and Mohammed Moosa K. Leghari, and the other consisting of Justices Syed Zawar Hussain Jafferi and Mohammed Sadiq Leghari, have so far allowed 24 out of the total 91 appeals filed with them against the rejection or acceptance of the nomination papers of candidates for different National and Sindh assemblies seats.

On Tuesday, the tribunals also dismissed as many as 17 appeals of candidates against the rejection of their nomination papers. The number of the total rejected appeals rose to 32.

The tribunal No. 1, which heard arguments on as many as 20 appeals, dismissed 10 appeals, including one that filed by Aisha Khan, widow of former premier Mohammed Khan Junejo, a candidate from PS-58, Badin.

The tribunal rejected the appeals of Syed Mohammed Shah, a candidate from PS-74 (Dadu), Mohammed Khalid from PS-46 (Hyderabad), Mohammed Rafiq from NA-255 (Karachi), Ahsan Ali Arif from NA-240 (Karachi), Mohammed Rafiq from PS-123 (Karachi), Arshad Mehfooq from NA-245 (Karachi), Asif Ali from PS-75 (Dadu), Dr Mohammed Hanif Khan from PS-96 (Karachi) and Syed Habib Shah.

The tribunal No 1 allowed three appeals of candidates against the rejection of their nomination papers by the retuning officers. The candidates were Dr Ashraf Un Nisa of Tehrik-i-Insaf for a reserved seat of the provincial assembly, Muzaffar Ali from PS-82 (Sanghar) and Mohammed Umer Khan from NA-227 (Mirpurkhas).

The tribunal reserved its order on three appeals, including one filed against the candidature of Mian Ijaz Shafi, a leader of the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) and candidate from NA- 240 (Karachi).

Sathi Ishaque called in question the veracity of the BA degree of the PML (N) leader, obtained from Calcutta University in 1966.

The tribunal reserved its orders on the appeals of Syed Mohammed Shah, a candidate from PS-74 (Dadu), and syed Abdul Nabi Shah from PS-73 (Dadu).

Besides, the tribunal fixed Wednesday for the hearing of appeals filed by Qazi Amjad Abid Abbasi, a candidate from NA-224 and PS-55, 56 and 57 (Badin), and Marvi Mahar from PS-74 (Dadu).

The tribunal No 2, comprising Justices Jafferi and Leghari, heard arguments on as many as 30 appeals. It allowed the appeals of Sardar Ahmed Ali Khan Pitafi, a candidate from NA-200 and PS-7 (Ghotki), Sardar Fayaz Ali Khan alias Ahmed Khan Lund from PS-7, Ziauddin Chaachar from PS-5 (Ghotki), Syed abdul Latif Shah from PS-6 (Ghotki) and Munir Ahmed from NA-200 (Ghotki).

The tribunal dismissed seven appeals, filed by Abdul Razzak, a candidate from NA-28, Ghulam Hussain from PS-6 (Ghotki), Atta Mohammed Shah, Sharbati from NA-201 (Ghotki), Abdul Razzak from PS-4 (Ghotki), Syed Abul Latif Shah from PS-6 and NA-201 (Ghotki).

The tribunal also reserved orders on the appeals of Mian Farooque Ahmed from NA-200 and PS-7, Maulvi Bashir Ahmed Shah from PS-5 (Ghotki), Abdul Majeed Bhayo from NA-200 and PS-5, Abdul Razzak from PS-8 and Syed Abdul Latif Shah from NA-201 and PS-6.

At least five appeals were also withdrawn in the election tribunal No. 1.