PTI no more in race for NA-133 by-election

• Ruling party candidate’s nomination form rejected

• PTI wants rescheduling of by election

• PML-N rejects demand of Punjab government

LAHORE Oct 31,2021

Ruling party PTI is no more in the race for NA-133 by-election as he Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Saturday rejected the nomination papers of PTI candidate Jamshed Iqbal Cheema.

It was came to light during a hearing of petition regarding rejection of nomination papers, that Bilal Hussain – the proposer of Jamshed Iqbal Cheema and his wife Musarrat Jamshed Cheema – is a resident of NA-130, while the constituency of election is NA-133.

Under section 60 of the Election Act, the proposer should belong to the same constituency for which elections are being held. Under the election rules, Jamshed Iqbal Cheema and his wife are not qualified for contesting election.

Announcing the decision over matter of NA-133 by-election, the ECP rejected the nomination papers of PTI candidate Jamshed Cheema and his wife.

The returning officer said that the proposer of the PTI’s Jamshed Cheema and his wife is not from NA 133.

After rejection of PTI candidates nomination forms, the ruling party has no candidate in the field.

In the 2018 elections, PML-N s Pervaiz Malik had won with more than 89,000 votes, while Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) candidate Ejaz Chaudhary had secured more than 77,000 votes.

The Election Commission had fixed Dec 5 for by-poll in NA-133 and also issued code of conduct.

PTI wants rescheduling of by election

The Punjab government has written a letter to ECP to postpone the by-elections of NA-133 in view of the protests by the banned Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP).

Political observers said, PTI wants rescheduling on pretext of TLP protests, but in fact it wants altogether fresh schedule of by elections so that it can put her candidate afresh.

PML-N rejects demand of Punjab government

The Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) has rejected a demand by the Punjab government to postpone the by-elections of NA-133 in view of the protests by the banned Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP).

MNA Ali Pervaiz Malik and PML-N leader Nasser Bhatta in Lahore, senior PML-N leader Khawaja Saad Rafique told reporters that the Punjab government had made an excuse that the election cannot be held during the protests of the banned TLP.