The Returning Officer (RO) for NA-4 on Friday rejected the nomination papers of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Murad Saeed as the candidate was on the absconder’s list.
Murad Saeed has been absconding since the May 9 incidents.
PTI’s lawyer has said that he has completed all the documents required by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and will appeal against the verdict in Peshawar High Court (PHC).
Meanwhile, the Provincial election commissioner in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has directed returning officers across different districts to recover unpaid fines from various political leaders, including former Prime Minister Imran Khan, as per Dawn.
These fines, imposed by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), are under scrutiny as part of the nomination paper review process for the upcoming February 8 elections.
A letter dated December 28, issued by the provincial election commissioner and obtained by Dawn.com, reveals that a total of 62 political figures from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Punjab have outstanding fines ranging from Rs5,000 to Rs50,000.
The fines are linked to violations committed during election campaigns, with the severity of the violations determining the penalty amount.
According to the letter, Imran Khan faces a substantial debt of Rs200,000 to the ECP, making him the highest debtor on the list.
The former premier allegedly committed four separate violations in March 2022, each resulting in a fine of Rs50,000. Notably, these violations occurred just a month before Imran Khan’s removal through a parliamentary vote.
Other prominent figures on the list include former Chief Minister of KP Mahmood Khan, who owes Rs150,000 for three violations, and ex-federal minister Murad Saeed, facing a fine of Rs100,000 for two violations.
Several members of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-P) are also included, with outstanding amounts ranging from Rs50,000.
The ECP letter states, “Candidates and public office holders [in the past] violated the code of conduct during election campaigns of various previous elections… fines were imposed upon them under Section 234 sub-section (3) of the Election Act 2017.”
It further notes that some individuals failed to deposit the fines and others filed appeals that were rejected by the ECP.
The competent authority has directed returning officers to share the list of defaulters and ensure the recovery of unpaid fines during the scrutiny of nomination papers. The deadline for scrutinizing nomination papers is December 30, with the process commencing on December 24.
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) said on Friday that it will display the final list of the candidates’ list on January 23 (Tuesday).
According to the electoral watchdog, the candidates will be able to withdraw their nomination papers until Monday, January 22.
The ECP is expected to display the candidate list on January 20. The appellate tribunals will decide on the appeals until January 19.
The appeals against RO’s verdict on the special seats can be filed until January 16.
The electoral watchdog had revised the election schedule for the special seats. The scrutiny of the nomination papers of women and minorities candidates will continue until January 13.
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