Verdict reserved on Shaukat Tarin's Senate candidacy

PESHAWAR: An appellate election tribunal on Thursday reserved a verdict on an appeal challenging the candidature of adviser to the prime minister on finance Shaukat Tarin for the Senate by-election.

The verdict is likely to be pronounced later today. Awami National Party (ANP) candidate Dr Shaukat Jamal Amirzadah moved the appeal challenging the acceptance of Tarin’s nomination papers by the returning officer for the by-election on a vacant Senate seat from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).

The appellant’s lawyer stated before the tribunal that Tarin is not a resident of the KP province and his vote was illegally transferred after the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) announced the schedule for the by-election.

He argued that the voter lists stand sealed on the announcement of the schedule, pleading with the election tribunal to declare Tarin ineligible for the Senate by-election.

Shaukat Tarin had submitted his nomination papers to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Dec 2, which were later accepted on Dec 6 after scrutiny.

The election on the Senate vacant seat is scheduled for December 20. Voting will be held inside the provincial assembly’s building from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm.

On November 23, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) leader Ayub Afridi had resigned as a member of the upper house of Parliament to create a seat for Shaukat Tarin in the Senate.