• Elahi’s wife Qaisara prevented from filing her own papers for NA-64 for second day
• PTI leader taken to hospital after chest pain, returned to Adiala

LAHORE/GUJRAT: The Lahore High Court (LHC) directed the police and the Election Commission on Saturday to ensure that the wife of PTI leader Parvez Elahi can submit the nomination papers of her husband, and son Moonis Elahi without obstacles.

Presiding over a contempt petition filed by Qaisara Elahi, Justice Ali Baqar Najafi addressed complaints against district returning officers (DROs) of Gujrat and Mandi Bahauddin for not complying with the court’s previous directive to collect the nomination papers.

A lawyer for the petitioner said that despite the court’s instructions to district police officers (DPOs) and DROs, the representatives of Mr Elahi and Mr Moonis were reportedly barred from collecting the nomination papers, with the police allegedly seizing control of the DRO’s office.

A representative from the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), its deputy director of legal, appeared in court on short notice. Justice Najafi, referring to the Supreme Court’s guidelines for smooth election conduct, questioned the ECP official why the nomination papers of PTI candidates were not being accepted.

The official stated that directives were issued to ensure the security of election aspirants, denying awareness of any such incidents as claimed by the petitioner.

After a recess, the ECP representative returned with a report from Gujrat and Mandi Bahauddin, informing the court that the nomination papers had been submitted in two constituencies, with the process ongoing in two others.

Justice Najafi emphasised the necessity of adhering to the Supreme Court’s clear directives, assuring the ECP official of the court’s support in enforcing these orders. He highlighted that all administrative authorities were under ECP’s jurisdiction, urging the commission to exercise its powers to ensure transparent elections.

The judge then concluded the hearing, advising the petitioner to return to court again if orders were not implemented by the police and the ECP.

CJP urged to intervene

Earlier, Qaisara Elahi faced challenges in submitting her nomination papers for the national constituency NA-64 — in the Kunjah city of Gujrat district — for the second consecutive day.

She and her niece Basima Riaz Chaudhary, a former PML-Q MPA, protested outside the Gujrat assistant commissioner’s office following an alleged attempt by plainclothes men to snatch her papers.

While the staff of the returning officer for the provincial constituency PP-32 (Kunjah) eventually accepted her nomination papers, the NA-64 returning officer did not.

A PTI lawyer said that Ms Elahi spent the whole day at that place, whereas her legal team remained present outside of the gate before she left the place in the evening.

Talking to media persons on the occasion, Ms Elahi called upon the Chief Justice of Pakistan to address this violation of citizens’ rights and questioned the preferential treatment accorded to her rivals (Salik Hussain and Shafay Hussain).

Ms Elahi said that she and her sister, Sumaira Elahi, were not allowed to file the nomination papers to participate in the Feb 8 elections.

“I am not here to submit papers of Parvez or Moonis. I am here to file my own papers,” she replied to a question. She emphasised her intention to run as an independent candidate in her late father Zahoor Elahi’s ancestral constituency and expressed concerns over the harassment of legal representatives working for her family, citing the arrest of lawyers Amir Saeed Raan from Lahore and Abrar Ashraf Sahi from Gujranwala.

Sources said that Ms Elahi and her sister Sumaira would again go to the RO offices on Sunday, the last day for filing the nomination papers.

Meanwhile, a surge in candidate registrations was observed in Gujrat, with 93 more candidates filing nomination papers on Saturday alone for at least four National Assembly and eight Punjab Assembly seats of the district.

This brought the total number of nomination papers filed to 265 over four days.

However, media access to the returning officers’ offices remains restricted amid heightened security measures across the district.

Elahi hospitalised, returned to jail

Meanwhile, Parvez Elahi was temporarily transferred from Adiala Jail to the Rawalpindi Institute of Cardiology (RIC) on Saturday due to health concerns, only to be returned to incarceration following medical examinations.

A senior physician at RIC said Mr Elahi, who has been embroiled in legal troubles, presented with chest pain, prompting immediate medical attention.

According to the doctor, Mr Elahi’s electrocardiography (ECG) showed abnormal results. The medical team suggested a Cardiolite scan, also known as a Thallium scan, to assess blood flow in various parts of his heart.

However, the former chief minister declined the test, insisting on the presence and consent of his family members and personal physician.

In light of Mr Elahi’s decision, the RIC staff provided him with necessary immediate treatment, compiled a preliminary report and informed Adiala Jail authorities. The jail administration has been requested to facilitate a meeting with Mr Elahi’s family for a comprehensive medical evaluation. Mr Elahi was then escorted back to Adiala Jail under tight security.

Aamir Yasin in Rawalpindi also contributed to this report

Published in Dawn, December 24th, 2023