CHAKWAL: The embattled Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) got a blow in Talagang’s NA-59 and PP-23 constituencies after its president, Chaudhry Parvez Elahi, and his front man in the area Hafiz Ammar Yasir lost their appeals against the decisions of returning officers (ROs).

Hafiz Ammar Yasir’s appeal was dismissed by the appellate tribunal of the Lahore High Court’s Rawalpindi bench on Tuesday while the appeals of Parvez Elahi and his wife, Qaisra Elahi, were dismissed on Monday evening.

“We would file an appeal before the larger bench of the LHC as our appeals were rejected unfairly,” Advocate Sardar Abdul Raziq Khan, the counsel for Mr Elahi, his wife and Mr Yasir, told Dawn on Tuesday.

Mr Elahi, who won NA-59 in the last general elections, had submitted his nomination papers for the same constituency and also for PP-23 for the upcoming general elections. His wife had also filed nomination papers for both constituencies while Hafiz Ammar Yasir, who won PP-23 in last general elections, submitted his papers for the same constituency.

Counsel to approach larger bench of LHC for relief

The nomination papers of all three candidates had been rejected by the returning officers after objections were levelled against them.

According to the decisions of the returning officers, copies of which are available with Dawn, the nomination papers were rejected on various grounds.

In the case of Mr Elahi, as many as 19 objections were filed against his nomination papers by an objector named Feyaz Shabbir Abidi, who was represented by Advocate Malik Irfan before the returning officer.

Some of the objections filed against Mr Elahi included concealing shares in a flour mill located in Lahore, failing to provide information regarding jewellery items and weapons, not disclosing assets of his wife which she had mentioned in her nomination papers, filing unattested papers, failing to mention separate bank accounts for the two constituencies for his electioneering expenses and concealing a plot measuring 10 marlas in Phalia.

The appellate tribunal’s judge, Justice Chaudhry Abdul Aziz, upheld the decision of Returning Officer Bilal bin Abdul Aziz.

Mr Elahi’s lieutenant in Talagang, former provincial minister Hafiz Ammar Yasir, who had been declared a proclaimed offender, is still in Saudi Arabia and is facing many criminal cases.

Scores of objections were levelled against him as well, including concealment of assets, unattested nomination papers, forged affidavit, property tax defaulter and fugitive from law.

Objections were also raised against Parvez Elahi’s wife Qaisra, who was accused of concealing assets, failing to mention separate bank accounts for both constituencies and not disclosing the real value of her gold jewellery.

Published in Dawn, January 10th, 2024