LAHORE (Daily Point) — The Lahore High Court (LHC) has rejected the appeal from Imran Khan, the founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), against the rejection of his nomination papers for the upcoming February 8 general elections.

The high court upheld the decisions of the returning officer (RO) and the appellate tribunal that ruled against accepting the nomination papers of the disqualified former prime minister from NA-122 and NA-89 constituencies.

A three-member bench, headed by Justice Ali Baqar Najafi, heard the plea on Wednesday. Imran Khan argued in his plea that the rejection of his nomination papers by the RO and appellate tribunal was contrary to the facts, and therefore, he should be allowed to contest the upcoming polls.

After considering arguments from both sides, the LHC bench dismissed Khan’s appeal, affirming the previous decisions.

Imran Khan had submitted his nomination papers for Lahore’s NA-122 and Mianwali’s NA-89 constituencies.

Additionally, the high court addressed a series of petitions filed by other prominent PTI members challenging the rejection of their nominations. The larger bench also dismissed appeals from PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi, PTI Secretary General Hammad Azhar, PTI leader Latif Khosa’s son Khurram Latif Khosa, and PTI activist Sanam Javaid.

This development represents a significant setback for the party, whose leadership is grappling with numerous cases, particularly those related to the May 9 riots. Several senior leaders, including Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi, are currently in custody.