RO reserves decision on Maryam's nomination papers

LAHORE: Maryam Nawaz, the daughter of former premier Nawaz Sharif, on Wednesday turned up before the returning officer in connection with scrutiny of nomination papers she has submitted to contest the July 25 polls from a National Assembly seat in Lahore. 

The returning officer reserved the verdict after hearing Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Dr Yasmin Rashid’s objections, challenging the former first daughter’s nomination papers.

Maryam has filed the papers to contest the elections from NA-125 and PP-173 Lahore constituencies. She showed up before the RO today for scrutiny of the papers.

Dr Rashid, who is contesting the polls from the same NA constituency, raised 20 objections on Maryam’s nomination papers.

Advocate Pervez Malik, who represented the former premier’s daughter, rejected the objections, contending that his client has disclosed all details in the papers.

After hearing arguments, the RO reserved the verdict to be announced on June 18.

Maryam is fighting the polls from the NA constituency where her mother Kulsoom Nawaz won by-election in October, last year.

After a fierce contest between the candidates of the two rival political parties, Kulsoom, the former premier’s wife who is undergoing cancer treatment in London, had won back her husband’s seat after his disqualification, defeating PTI’s Dr Yasmin Rashid.

NA-120 seat had fallen vacant after former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s disqualification by the Supreme Court on July 28, 2017.

In the 2013 polls, Sharif had contested and won this NA seat.He was first elected by this constituency during the elections in 1985 held under Gen Zial ul Haq. Benazir Bhutto-led Pakistan People’s Party and other opponents of the military regime had boycotted the non-party elections.