The Returning Officer (RO) issued an eight-page detailed verdict on Sunday, announcing the rejection of the nomination papers of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder and former Prime Minister for the constituency NA-122, Lahore.
Imran Khan’s rejection was announced after the conclusion of the scrutiny process for candidates’ nomination papers for the general elections of 2024, which ended on December 30.
The RO’s verdict stated that an additional session judge rejected the PTI founder’s nomination due to his conviction in the Toshakhana case. The former Prime Minister has been disqualified for five years under Article 63/1-F for engaging in corrupt practices. This disqualification serves as the primary basis for the rejection of his candidacy.
The RO further noted that the objections raised by PTI leader Naseer Ahmed against the PTI founder’s nomination were deemed valid and logical. Before this, on Saturday, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had already rejected the PTI founder’s nomination papers for two National Assembly constituencies: NA-122 (Lahore) and NA-89 (Mianwali).
Mian Naseer of PML-N, who challenged Imran Khan’s nomination papers, pointed out that the seconder and proposer for the former PM did not meet the legal requirements for NA-122. This series of rejections reflects the ongoing political and legal challenges faced by the PTI founder in the upcoming elections.
