PESHAWAR: The third phase of submission of appeals against acceptance or rejection of nomination papers of candidates by Returning Officers for 2013 general elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) was successfully completed Wednesday.

On the final day of filling of appeals against ROs decisions, more than 20 candidates of different political parties, independent, women reserved and minority seats have submitted their elections petitions and appeals against acceptance or rejections of nomination papers by the returning officers here at Peshawar High Court Appellate Election Tribunal.

Pakistan Tahrik-i-Insaf (PTI) candidate for NA-32 Chitral, Abdul Latif through his counsel, Abdul Rahim filed objection for acceptance of the nomination papers of Gen (retd) Pervez Musharaf from the same constituency.

The petitioner’s counsel claimed before the media that Musharraf did not fulfil the criteria laid down in Article 62 and 63 of the Constitution. He said the former president during his long rule had violated constitution and imposed emergency.

Abdul Rahim Advocate said the nomination papers of former military ruler was also rejected by the returning officers from NA-139 Qasur, NA-250 Karachi and NA-48 Islamabad and has prayed before the Election Tribunal for rejection of his nomination papers from NA-32 Chitral also as grounds are mostly the same.

Alamzeb, Khalilur Rehman and Sajidullah, residents of Chitral also filed their appeals challenging the decision.

Meanwhile, Musharraf has filed an appeal against the decision of the RO who had rejected his nomination papers filed for the NA-250 seat in Karachi.

ROs in Karachi, Islamabad and Kasur had rejected Gen Musharraf’s papers for imposing emergency in the country in November 2007 and keeping judges of the superior judiciary under unlawful detention.

The ex-military ruler was also accused of not disclosing his source of income in his nomination papers whereas he has declared assets worth more than Rs760 million.

Besides lawyers’ bodies, Gen Musharraf’s papers had also been challenged by the candidates of various parties, including the PML-N, PTI and Jamaat-i-Islami– APP/DawnNews