Rauf Siddiqui of MQM-P declared ineligible to contest Senate election

• The Election Tribunal has declared MQM-P's Rauf Siddiqui ineligible for contesting the Senate elections
• Rauf's nomination papers were rejected by the returning officer who said the candidate did not complete 16 years of education 
• Rauf challenged the decision in the High Court but could not win the case
• His lawyers could not come up with a satisfactory explanation for his eligibility, therefore, the Election Tribunal upheld the returning officer's decision

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KARACHI: The Election Tribunal has disqualified MQM Pakistan's leader Rauf Siddiqui from contesting the Senate elections.

Rauf's appeal against the decision to declare him ineligible was also rejected by the Election Tribunal as his lawyers could not come up with a satisfactory explanation for his eligibility. The Tribunal, therefore, upheld the decision of the returning officer (RO).

Read more: Senate election: Pervaiz Rashid challenges rejection of nomination papers by ECP

It may be recalled that the RO had rejected the nomination papers of Rauf Siddiqui for the Senate elections because he had not completed 16 years of education, which is a prerequisite for contesting candidates. Rauf, however, had challenged the decision and had taken the matter to the high court.

Aside from Rauf Siddiqui, the Election Tribunal also rejected the appeal of MQM Pakistan's Khizar Zaidi for the technocrat seat in the Senate elections and upheld the RO's decision to reject his nomination papers.

Read more: Blow for PTI: Nomination papers of Senate candidate Saifullah Abro rejected