LAHORE, Sept 20: The district returning officer on Tuesday rejected the appeals of all opponents of the ruling PML-supported candidate Mian Muhammad Younis Sheikh, who is now sure to become the Nishtar Town nazim without a contest. The DRO rejected the appeals filed by ARD-supported Dr Zahid Akram Nat and four others, whose nomination papers for the town nazim were rejected on the objection raised by Mr Sheikh that their proposers and seconders were not listed as voters in the town area.
As a result, Mujtaba Akram, the brother and covering candidate for Dr Zahid, Muhammad Sajjad Khan, Gulsher Khan and Syed Afzaal Azeem stand barred from contesting the election.
The DRO declined to hear the appeal of Dr Zahid against the ruling party nominee through which he had stated that Mr Sheikh was not a genuine voter of the town.
The DRO while dismissing the objection stated that it pertained to the electoral rolls and this was not a proper time to challenge the vote because this was to be done when the Election Commission of Pakistan invited objections to the electoral rolls.
Dr Zahid told Dawn that he would challenge the decision of the DRO through a writ petition in the Lahore High Court.
The DRO rejected the objection against the nomination of Nadeem Butt, the son of former PPP leader and now the ruling party member Hafiz Ghulam Mohyuddin, who is contesting for a reserved seat from the Ravi Town and who filed appeal against the rejection of his nominations. Also accepted was the appeal of M.M. Waqas, a candidate for a seat reserved for minorities in the City District Government Lahore.
The DRO dismissed 10 appeals and accepted seven of them. Five appeals, which were rejected, were filed by the opponents of Younis Sheikh. The DRO earlier accepted the appeal of Malik Nadeem Abbas, a candidate for nazim of the Allama Iqbal Town, whose nomination papers were rejected during the process of scrutiny for failing to appear before the returning officer.
The candidates will be allotted election symbols on Wednesday when the process of withdrawal of candidature will also begin. The last date for withdrawal of nominations is Sept 22 and after that the final list will be put on display.