LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) has rejected Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan’s appeal against the rejection of his nomination papers for the upcoming general elections scheduled for February 8.
The court upheld the decisions made by the returning officer (RO) and the appellate tribunal, which had rejected the former prime minister’s nomination papers for NA-122 and NA-89 constituencies. A three-member bench, led by Justice Ali Baqar Najafi, heard the plea on Wednesday.
Imran Khan, in his plea, argued that his nomination papers were rejected based on incorrect information by the RO and appellate tribunal. He requested permission to contest the upcoming polls. However, after considering arguments from both sides, the LHC bench dismissed Khan’s appeal, affirming the previous decisions.
Imran Khan had submitted nomination papers for Lahore’s NA-122 and Mianwali’s NA-89 constituencies. The high court also addressed petitions from other PTI leaders challenging the rejection of their nominations.
The larger bench dismissed appeals from PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi, PTI Secretary General Hammad Azhar, PTI leader Khurram Latif Khosa (son of Latif Khosa), and PTI activist Sanam Javaid. This decision poses a significant setback for the party, whose leadership faces various legal challenges, particularly related to the May 9 riots, with several senior leaders, including Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi, currently in detention.
