Nawaz Sharif is authorized to contest in the NA-15 Mansehra elections

MANSEHRA: Nawaz Sharif, the leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), has been granted permission to run for office from the NA-15 (Mansehra-II) constituency, despite the leaders of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) raising objections.

Returning officer (RO) Hajrah Sami on Thursday rejected all of the PTI’s objections regarding Nawaz’s eligibility to run in the general elections scheduled for February 8 and deemed his nomination papers to be legitimate in accordance with Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) regulations.

Nawaz Sharif’s legal advisor, Jahangir Jadoon, told reporters outside the RO offices that “the scrutiny process of nomination papers of PML-N supreme leader Nawaz Sharif has been completed and all objections raised by PTI leader Azam Khan Swati, and two others have been set aside, and he has been declared eligible to contest elections from here.”

In the presence of PML-N and PTI leaders and lawyers, Hajrah took into consideration the concerns expressed by PTI senator Azam Khan Swati, Shahid Rafique, and Zakria Tariq, and granted Nawaz permission to run in the NA-15 Mansehra-II elections.

For roughly two hours, a panel of PTI attorneys led by Waqar Khan Jehangira and Amir Shah and a panel of PML-N attorneys led by Jadoon argued the case.

Waqar Khan Jehangiri, the PTI’s attorney, informed the RO during the proceedings that Waqar Sharif was not eligible to run in the general elections from NA-15 on February 8 because he was disqualified by the Supreme Court’s five-member bench from holding any public office or from contesting general elections.

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He said that Nawaz was corrupt and that the country’s supreme court had declared him to be so in accordance with sections 62(I) and (F) of the constitution.

Later, Nawaz’s legal counsel Jahangir Jadoon questioned how Swati could appear in local courts here while he was abroad and sign the power of attorney and other documents while speaking to media outside the RO Office.

“Swati’s presence in the court premises was confirmed by the notary public at approximately 9 am. We have brought this forgery to the attention of the relevant RO and will pursue legal action,” he stated.

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On December 30 (Saturday), Jadoon announced that they would contest Swati’s nomination papers as well.

He remarked, “How an absconder shows up on court premises and signs power of attorney and legal documents as he (Swati) has reportedly fled abroad.”