Objections to Imran’s candidacy ‘baseless’, reply submitted to ECP

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairperson Imran Khan’s legal counsel submitted on Monday reply over objections to his candidacy for the upcoming general election for NA-53 constituency of Islamabad.

The reply, which was submitted by the assistant lawyer of Babar Awan, stated that the objections to Imran’s candidacy are baseless and based on fraud.

The objections have been submitted over photo stated documents and have yet to be verified, states the written reply, adding that the objections raised against Imran fall under the ambit of forgery.

Imran skips NA-53 scrutiny for ECP appearance in Lahore

Imran’s counsel had asked returning officers for a day as PTI chairperson had also been summoned by ECP in Lahore

It further mentions that there is a legal mechanism in place to send or receive documents from foreign countries, adding that the objections raised against Imran's candidacy are allegations. 

Earlier in the day, PTI chief Imran Khan and his counsel, Babar Awan, excused from appearing before returning officers for the scrutiny of his nomination papers for NA-53 (Islamabad). 

Imran and his counsel skipped the NA-53 scrutiny to appear before the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) in Lahore.

The cricketer-turned-politician’s counsel had asked returning officers if they could appear for the PTI chairperson's scrutiny for the Islamabad constituency on Tuesday instead as he had to appear before ECP in Lahore today as well.

A day earlier, the ECP summoned Imran, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Aisha Gulalai, who had been affiliated with the PTI in the past, today for the scrutiny process for nomination papers for NA-53.

The returning officers had summoned the NA-53 candidates to physically appear before the ECP.

The PTI chairperson had also been ordered to submit a reply to reservations against his candidacy raised by Abdul Wahab Baloch.