Pakistan election: Nominations of Imran Khan, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi rejected

The run-up to the July 25 general elections in Pakistan witnessed a drama on Tuesday, June 19, when the nomination papers of former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief Imran Khan for NA-53 constituency of Islamabad were rejected by the returning officer.

The official said that Abbasi's nomination was rejected because he failed to produce complete tax returns with his documents. Khan's nomination was not accepted because it was incomplete, reports said. The candidates decided to contest the decision.

Khan's nomination was challenged in early June by Pakistan Justice and Democratic Party candidate Abdul Wahab Baloch who alleged that the former did not fulfil the criterion under articles 62 and 63 on the issue related to Sita White and her daughter Tyrian, Press Trust of India reported.

The returning officer though did not entertain Baloch's objection, but he still turned down the cricketer-turned-politician's papers because they were incomplete. According to the PTI report, Khan did not filled a column in the affidavit where he was required to outline his performance as a Member of the National Assembly (MNA).

Khan had served as the MNA from NA-56 Rawalpindi but was accused of overlooking his constituency during his five-year term despite living close.

Khan will also contest the July 25 elections from Lahore's NA-131 constituency and Karachi's NA-243 constituency.