PESHAWAR, April 10: Three people, including two candidates, on Wednesday challenged acceptance of former president Pervez Musharraf’s nomination papers for NA-32, Chitral, at an appellate tribunal here.

The appellants included former MNA and Jamaat-i-Islami candidate from the constituency Maulana Abdul Akbar Chitrali, local Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf contestant Abdul Lateef and voter Alam Zeb.

On April 7, returning officer Jamal Khan had rejected several objections filed against Musharraf’s papers with the observation that cases against him were pending decision by the relevant courts.

The appellants said the impugned order of the returning officer was against the Constitution and the law and therefore, it should be set aside.

They said Musharraf was not qualified to contest general elections under articles 62 and 63 of the Constitution and that the NA-32 returning officer didn’t consider two Supreme Court decisions for action against him over imposition of illegal and unconstitutional emergency rule in the country.

The appellants said the former president had imposed emergency rule in the country in November 2007 and was therefore liable to be tried under Article 6 of the Constitution.

They also claimed that the nomination papers of Musharraf were filed by an unauthorised person, who had submitted a fake authority letter of the president because there were striking dissimilarities in signatures put on nomination paper and the authority letter.

Wednesday was the last day to file appeals with appellate tribunals against the orders of returning officers regarding acceptance and rejection of nomination papers.

Three tribunals will begin functioning today (Thursday) here at the Peshawar High Court.

Justice Mian Fasihul Mulk will hear cases pertaining to the National Assembly of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Fata, Justice Mazhar Alam Miankhel those related to the provincial assembly constituencies, and Justice Irshad Qaiser those about seats reserved for women and minorities in the province.

Noted among appellants is former provincial minister Aqil Shah, who was recently convicted by the trial court in fake degree case, has filed appeal against rejection of his nomination paper on PK-4, Peshawar IV constituency.

Also, Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl central leader Maulana Gul Naseeb Khan has challenged rejection of his nomination papers for NA-34 and PK-97 for possessing ‘improper’ sanad of a religious seminary.

Similarly, former PPP MNA Allauddin Khan has challenged rejection of his nomination papers for NA-30, Swat over dual nationality. His lawyer, Mian Muhibullah Kakakhel, claims his client has already surrendered his US nationality.

Also, former Haripur district nazim and PTI leader Yousaf Ayub has challenged rejection of his nomination papers over fake degree.