ECP accepts Gilani’s nomination papers for Senate election

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has accepted former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani’s nomination papers for the upcoming Senate election.

A petition filed by Fareed Rehman was rejected by the ECP’s returning officer. Fareed Rehman is a PTI Senate candidate who hails from Islamabad and challenged the former premier’s nomination for a Senate seat.

Yousuf Raza Gilani has been fielded as a joint candidate of the opposition alliance Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) from Islamabad. In his petition, the PTI candidate stated that the PPP stalwart concealed the facts in his nomination papers.

He failed to mention his conviction in a contempt of court case back in 2012, the petitioner said. He argued that Gilani did not fulfill the requirements as mentioned in Article-62 of the Constitution, Rehman pleaded that the PPP candidate’s nomination papers be rejected.

Meanwhile, the commission has completed the scrutiny of nomination papers filed by ten candidates vying for two Senate seats from Islamabad. Of them, the nomination papers of nine have been accepted while those of one rejected.