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The Supreme Court has granted appeals submitted by three PTI candidates, namely Umer Aslam, Major (retd) Tahir Sadiq, and Elahi. These appeals challenge the decisions of returning officers who initially rejected their nomination papers from various constituencies. Elahi, a former Punjab chief minister currently held in Adiala Jail, sought permission to contest the general election from the PP-32 constituency in the Gujarat district. This move follows the Lahore High Court’s (LHC) decision, upheld by the Election Tribunal, to reject Elahi’s nomination papers, prompting him to approach the Supreme Court.
Elahi filed a petition under Article 185(3) of the Constitution on January 13, 2024, arguing against the LHC’s verdict. The rejection of his nomination papers had initially occurred for National Assembly constituency NA-64 (Gujrat-III) and Punjab Assembly constituency PP-34 (Gujrat-VIII). A three-member bench of the Supreme Court, comprising Justice Mansoor Ali Shah, Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail, and Justice Athar Minallah, heard Elahi’s plea, with Advocate Faisal Siddiqui representing him.
Read more: Parvez Elahi Hospitalized From Adiala Jail With Chest Pain
During the proceedings, Elahi’s counsel highlighted discrepancies in objections raised by rival candidates and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). Advocate Siddiqui urged the court to permit his client to contest the upcoming elections in Gujarat, emphasizing the urgency of the matter. Justice Minallah underscored the importance of not depriving voters of their right to vote and expressed concerns about potential hindrances to the election process.
After thorough consideration of the arguments, the Supreme Court ruled that the rejection of Elahi’s nomination papers from PP-32 was invalid. Consequently, Elahi was granted permission to contest the polls from the Gujarat provincial assembly seat. Notably, Elahi withdrew appeals against the rejection of nomination papers from other constituencies, including two NA seats.
The objections raised against Elahi’s nomination papers included allegations of concealing assets, non-disclosure of shares, non-compliance with banking rules, technical errors, and document submission without verification. Despite facing multiple arrests since June 1 of the previous year in various cases, including corruption, embezzlement of development funds, money laundering, and alleged illegal appointments, Elahi has maintained his pursuit to participate in the electoral process.
In addition to Elahi, the Supreme Court also granted permission to PTI candidates Tahir Sadiq and Umer Aslam Awan to contest elections from NA-49 (Attock) and NA-87 (Khushab) constituencies, respectively. The apex court’s decisions in these cases underscore its role in ensuring fair and transparent electoral processes and providing candidates with an avenue to address concerns related to the rejection of nomination papers.
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