The ECP apprised the Supreme Court on Sunday about maximum acceptance of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) candidates’ nominations papers.
A day earlier, the spokesman for the caretaker government Murtaza Solangi also made the same claim while speaking in a TV talk show of the private media.
According to the data provided by the electoral watchdog, 76 per cent of the PTI’s nomination papers for the National Assembly have been approved. Out of a total of 843 submissions, 598 received the green light from returning officers.
Similarly, for provincial assemblies, 1,398 out of 1,777 candidatures were accepted.
This revelation comes in response to a PTI petition seeking contempt of court proceedings against the ECP and other government authorities for alleged violations of the Supreme Court’s December 22 orders.
The apex court had directed the ECP to urgently address the PTI’s grievances and ensure a fair resolution.
However, the PTI persisted in its claims of a lack of a level playing field, contending that nearly “90% of nominations from important leaders” were rejected, resulting in a perceived exclusion of the party from the electoral race.
The PTI further alleged that conspiracies were being orchestrated to sideline the party, pointing to the elimination of its top leadership and allies from the polls race. It claimed that the nomination papers of party candidates were even forcibly taken away.
The ECP’s detailed response to the Supreme Court highlights that a substantial majority of the PTI’s nominations have passed scrutiny, challenging the party’s narrative of systemic bias.
