ECP rejects Dar’s Senate election nomination

The Election Commission of Pakistan ( ECP) on Monday rejected the nomination papers of Ishaq Dar - a relative of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League ( Nawaz) chief Nawaz Sharif - for the upcoming Senate elections in March.

The opposition Pakistan Tehrik- e- Insaf ( PTI) had challenged the nomination papers of Mr Dar, pointing out that he was declared absconder in the corruption reference against him heard by the National Accountability Bureau ( NAB) court.

The ECP ruled that Mr Dar is ineligible to contest in the Senate elections since there was a pending corruption case against him in the accountability court.

The ruling PML- N had nominated Ishaq Dar as its Senate candidate for another three- year term as nine of the PML- N Senators were due to retire next month after completing their terms.

Mr Dar was to contest in the Senate polls over two seats, a general seat and technocrat seat. The PTI lawyer reasoned that Mr Dar submitted the same account details for expenditure while contesting for both seats.