• Election tribunal overturns decision on Imran Khan’s nomination papers for NA-108.
• Disposes of PML-N’s plea against Imran Khan’ nomination papers for NA-118.
• Tribunal justice says petitioner can’t raise objection if they didn’t raise any objection before RO.

PTI Chairman Imran Khan on Wednesday secured permission from an election tribunal to contest by-elections from two National Assembly constituencies.

The tribunal overturned the returning officer’s decision on NA-108, Faisalabad, and disposed of PML-N’s plea against Khan’s nomination papers for NA-118, Nankana Sahib.

Khan had filed his nomination papers from nine constituencies of the National Assembly. However, his nomination papers for NA-108 were rejected by the district election commissioner, while the papers for NA-118 were challenged by PML-N.

His papers for the remaining constituencies were accepted.

During the hearing of PML-N’s plea today, the petitioner’s lawyer maintained that the affidavit submitted by Khan is not in line with the legal requirements as it wasn’t verified by the oath commissioner.

At this, Justice Shahid Waheed remarked that the Supreme Court has ruled that the nomination papers cannot be rejected if they are not verified by the oath commissioner.

“You cannot raise an objection in the tribunal if you didn’t raise any objection before the returning officer,” he said.

The justice asked the petitioner’s lawyer if they have any objection other than this.

Responding to the query, the lawyer argued that Khan hasn’t declared the items he took from Toshakhana in the tax returns for the years 2019 and 2020.

He also shared details of items that Khan’s wife, Bushra Bibi, took from Toshakhana and but were not mentioned in the nomination papers.

The tribunal remarked that the candidate does not need to mention the details of the items taken from Toshakhana even if they have sold them, in case they did charity with the amount acquired from sale in charity.

Later, the court disposed of PML-N’s plea.

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has announced September 25 as the date for the by-polls after National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf on July 28 accepted the resignations of 11 PTI lawmakers — nine on general and two on reserved seats.