Nomination Papers of Rashid Rejected Due to Outstanding Rest House Bill

Sheikh Rashid, the leader of Awami Muslim League (AML), faced disqualification from contesting elections in NA-56 due to objections raised by the returning officer regarding unpaid rent for a rest house, among other issues.

The returning officer, Nazarat Ali, listed various reasons for rejecting Rashid’s nomination papers, including an outstanding rest house bill and inconsistent asset details. A copy of the objections was shared with Sheikh Rashid and his nephew, Sheikh Rashid Shafiq, whose nomination papers were also rejected.

The objection copy revealed that Sheikh Rashid’s papers were turned down due to an unpaid bill for a rest house of the Murree Forest Department, where he stayed from September 4 to September 9, 2022, accumulating a bill of Rs322,000. Additionally, objections were raised about incomplete asset details, inconsistent asset values, and the omission of income information for the years 2021 to 2023.

Further objections pertained to Rashid’s acquisition of land in Mouza Sial, which was not disclosed in the returns.

The returning officer also highlighted issues with Sheikh Rashid Shafiq’s nomination papers, citing the absence of his wife’s tax returns and incomplete asset details.

It’s worth noting that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has been rejecting the nomination papers of several prominent politicians, including Imran Khan and Shah Mahmood Qureshi of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), leading to the party’s decision to challenge these rejections in the Supreme Court. Other PTI candidates, such as Dr. Yasmin Rashid, Ejaz Chaudhry, Mohammad Atif Khan, Naeem Haider Panjotha, Ali Amin Gandapur, and Hammad Azhar, also faced rejection of their nomination papers by the ECP.