Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s Saifullah Abro can no longer contest for the Senate elections as his nomination papers have been rejected by an election tribunal.

The Sindh High Court election tribunal declared the acceptance of his nomination papers null and void. It said that the objections against his candidacy have been proven.

Ghulam Mustafa Memon had submitted the petition against Abro’s nomination on technocrat seat and claimed that he has hidden his assets. The returning officer did not hear any reservations and approved the nomination, he said, adding that Abro does not meet the criteria for becoming a technocrat.

Advocate Rasheed A Rizvi said that these people [political parties] have turned contractors into technocrats. A criminal case has been filed against Abro and he is also being investigated by NAB Sukkur and Multan, he added.

Saifullah Abro’s lawyer denied the charges. He said that his client has an engineering degree and experience of 20 years. The arrest warrants issued against him have been suspended and his name has also been removed from the Exit Control List.

Earlier, PTI members and supporters had objected to Abro’s nomination as well.

PTI MPA Khurram Sherzaman even addressed a press conference on the matter. He claimed that Abro had been associated with the Pakistan Peoples Party and joined PTI in 2018. There are others who deserve this nomination more than him, Sherzaman said.

On February 20, the Sindh High Court had set up an election tribunal to hear petitions against the rejection and acceptance of nomination papers for the Senate elections by the ECP.

Another petition has also been filed against the nomination of federal minister Faisal Vawda.

Senate elections will be held on March 3. The Supreme Court is expected to rule on if the elections will be held through an open ballot or not.