LAHORE   -  An objection was filed against the nomination pa­pers of Imran Khan, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s founder, for National Assembly constituency NA-122 (Lahore), here on Wednesday. 

A candidate, Mian Naseer, filed a written objec­tion at the returning officer’s office, stating that Imran Khan was ineligible due to his conviction.

In his arguments, Naseer’s counsel, Advocate Ramzan Chaudhry, emphasised that the objection was related to a legal aspects, and not any person­al attack on Imran Khan. He submitted that the en­dorser of Imran Khan did not belong to the constit­uency. However, Imran Khan’s counsel countered by stating that they had moved a petition in the court against ineligibility.

He submitted that the objector was not a voter of constituency NA-122. At this, the returning of­ficer sought clarification on whether the endorser or proposer was a voter in the constituency. 

Imran’s counsel requested time for vote verifica­tion of the endorser and urged the returning offi­cer to defer the hearing until the next day. 

Consequently, the returning officer adjourned further hearing till December 28.

Separately, a citizen filed an objection at the nomination papers of Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the chairman of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), for the National Assembly constituency NA-127 (La­hore), here on Wednesday. In his petition, Muham­mad Ayaz, a resident of Lahore, submitted that Bilawal Bhutto expressed his affiliation with the Pakistan People’s Party Parliamentarians (PPPP) in his nomination papers, whereas he was the chairman of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP). 

He stated that both were separate political par­ties and their election symbols were also differ­ent, adding that Bilawal Bhutto was the chairman of PPP and Asif Zardari was president of PPPP. He argued that as per the Election Act 2017, a person could not be a member of two parties at a time. The nomination papers of Bilawal Bhutto Zardari as a candidate of PPPP were being filed against the Election Act, he added. That the returning officer concerned would scrutinise the nomination pa­pers of Bilawal Bhutto on Dec 28.