MANSEHRA: The returning officer for NA-15, Mansehra-II, on Thursday accepted the nomination papers of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz supremo Nawaz Sharif, while setting aside the objections raised by Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf to his nomination to contest the Feb 8 elections.

“The scrutiny process of nomination papers of PML-N supreme leader Nawaz Sharif has been completed and all objections raised by PTI leader Azam Khan Swati and two others have been set aside, and he has been declared eligible to contest elections from here,” Jahangir Jadoon, the legal adviser to Mr Sharif, told reporters outside the office of RO Hajrah Sami.

The RO took objections raised by PTI Senator Swati, and two other persons, Shahid Rafique and Zakria Tariq in the presence of PML-N and PTI lawyers and leaders, and gave a clean chit to Mr Sharif to contest the elections from NA-15.

A PTI lawyers’ panel led by Waqar Khan Jehangiri and Amir Shah, and PML-N led by Mr Jadoon argued for about two hours.

Ms Sami subsequently cleared Mr Sharif of objections raised by the PTI lawyers.

“Mr Sharif was disqualified from holding any public office or contesting general elections by a Supreme Court’s five-member bench. So he is not eligible to run in Feb 8 elections from NA-15,” PTI counsel Waqar Jehangiri told the RO during the proceedings.

He said Mr Sharif was deemed dishonest and corrupt by the apex court under Article 62(I) and (F) of the Constitution.

Later, talking to mediapersons outside the RO office, Nawaz Sharif’s legal adviser Jahangir Jadoon said as Senator Swati was out of the country how he could show up at local courts here and sign the power of attorney and other documents.

“We have taken this forgery with RO concerned and would take this issue to the court of law as the notary public confirmed Mr Swati’s presence on the court premises at about 9am,” he said.

Mr Jadoon said they would also challenge Mr Swati’s nomination papers on Dec 30.

“How an absconder show up in court and sign legal documents and power of attorney as he (Mr Swati) has fled aboard,” he said.

Published in Dawn, December 29th, 2023