BAHAWALPUR: A larger Lahore High Court (LHC) bench on Wednesday rejected the nomination papers of two Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf candidates Samiullah Chaudhry, a former PTI minister, and Asghar Joyia, PTI Bahawalpur district president.

They were candidates from NA-168 and PP- 53 (Bahawalpur city), respectively.

This was claimed by Samiullah Chaudhry in his video statement posted on social media here on Wednesday.

Earlier, an election appellate tribunal had announced the acceptance of their nomination papers while the Bahawalpur bench on Tuesday changed their election symbols.

Samiullah Chaudhry in his video message said the PTI workers had been the target for the last nine months. He alleged that his opponents cheated the returning officer and Bahawalpur bench and got their nomination papers rejected.

He announced that he would move the Supreme Court to get relief.

ALLIANCE: Independent candidate from NA-168 (Bahawalpur city) Syed Tabish Alwari has announced the formation of an electoral alliance titled “Baqai Pakistan Awami Mahaz”.

At a press conference at his residence here on Wednesday along with independent candidate Syed Javed Saeed Kazmi (scion of late religious scholar Maulana Ahmed Saeed Kazmi), both claimed that their Awami Mahaz enjoyed the support of about eight national assembly candidates, including Shoaib Qandrani from NA-175, and 11 provincial assembly candidates, including Mazhar Deawala from PP-271, Belal Sonthra from PP-272, Qayyum Hamdani from PP-273, Suleman Rizvi from PP-274 and Shahnawaz Ludhar from PP-275.

They said they would contest the Feb 8 election on clock symbol and their focus would be to demand end to deprivations of south Punjab, special funds for the under-developed areas of Bahawalpur, Multan and Muzaffargarh and provincial status for Bahawalpur.

They told a questioner that these points would be part of their manifesto, which is yet to be finalised. Syed Javed said after the election, the Awami Mahaz would be got registered with the Election Commission of Pakistan.

Published in Dawn, January 18th, 2024