Election 2024: 5,234 candidates face inquiries, investigations

ISLAMABAD: A total of 5,234 candidates, or 29 percent, participating in the 2024 general election, are facing various cases and inquiries, according to data obtained by Hum Investigation Team. Of the 3,470 candidates under investigation, 985 are from Punjab, 535 from Sindh, 225 from Balochistan, and 19 from the federal capital, Islamabad. These candidates are implicated in cases including treason, murder, tax evasion, money laundering, bank default, corruption, rape, dual citizenship, and human smuggling. The investigations indicate that a total of 10,307 candidates, or 36 percent, have been completely eliminated from the election. Hum Investigation Team collected data from the State Bank, SECP, FBR, Anti-Corruption Establishment, NADRA, FIA, NAB, and returning officers regarding the cases and allegations against the candidates.

Around 28,626 candidates submitted nomination papers for the 2024 general elections scheduled for February 8. After screening, 18,319 candidates are currently participating in the election fray. 5,961 candidates withdrew their nomination papers, while 4,346 candidates were disqualified from the election race for various reasons.

Further details reveal that 4,346 candidates are not part of the election fray for various reasons; their papers were rejected or returned at the first stage. An additional 5,961 candidates also withdrew their nomination papers. Further details show that 1,685 candidates involved in cases and inquiries are contesting the elections as independent candidates. Consequently, 789 candidates facing legal issues are being supported by Tehreek-e-Insaf, 388 by the People’s Party, and 298 by the Muslim League (N). Eighty-six candidates belong to the Awami National Party, 69 to the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F), and 56 to the Muttahida Qaumi Movement. About 55 candidates are from Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan, 42 from IPP, and 39 from PTI Parliamentarians. According to further details, 37 candidates are from the National Party, 31 from Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party, 15 from Akhtar Mengal Party, 11 from Baap Party, and 2 from the Awami Muslim League.

More than one and a half hundred candidates are accused of causing a loss of 450 billion rupees to the national exchequer. Therefore, 56 candidates are clearly holders of dual citizenship. The details reveal that 858 candidates are defaulters of banks, electricity companies, PTCL, and gas companies, while more than eleven hundred candidates were not registered with the FBR. Prominent candidates who are out of the election race include Imran Khan, the founder of Tehreek-e-Insaf, former Punjab Chief Minister Pervez Elahi, former Federal Minister Hammad Azhar, and others.

The rest of the candidates facing various cases include former prime ministers Nawaz Sharif, Shahbaz Sharif, Raja Pervez Ashraf and Yousuf Raza Gilani, Pakistan People’s Party Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari, former Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar, Manzoor Wattoo, Hamza Shahbaz Sharif and Pervez Elahi, former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s daughter Maryam Nawaz, former Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Ministers Mahmood Khan, Amir Haider Hoti, Pervez Khattak and Akram Durrani and former Balochistan Chief Ministers Aslam Raisani, Abdul Qudoos Bizenjo, Jam Kamal Khan are also involved in various inquiries and cases.

Similarly, MQM leader Farooq Sattar, MQM’s Mustafa Kamal, JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman and Jamshed Dasti are also facing various cases. Khawaja Asif, Khawaja Saad Rafique, Sanaullah Zehri, Khursheed Shah, Nadir Magsi, Hina Rabbani Khar, Aimal Wali, Sheikh Rashid and Asad Umar also have cases. Ghulam Ahmed Bilour, Moonis Elahi, Firdous Ashiq Awan, Attaullah Tarar, Manzoor Wassan, Murad Saeed, Atif Khan, Ali Muhammad Khan, Ali Amin Gandapur, Khurram Sher Zaman, Majid Niazi, Malik Niaz Jakhar, Shahabuddin Sehri, Zain Qureshi, Hashim Dogar, Jahangir Tareen, Aleem Khan, Ali Nawaz Awan, Rashid Shafiq, Fayyaz Al Hassan Chohan, Faryal Talpur, Karam Moin Wattoo, Burjis Tahir, Ghulam Mustafa Khar, Farukh Habib, Rana Sanaullah, Shehryar Afridi, Yasmin Rashid, Shafqat Mahmood, Alia Hamza, Zartaj Gul, Hashim Jawan Bakht, Mahmoodur Rashid, Fawad Chaudhry, Aamir Kiani, Qasim Suri, Latifur Rehman, Asad Rehman, Riyaz Fatiana, Saleem Rehman, Javed Akbar, Fahim Khan, Haleem Adil Sheikh, Omar Ayub, Anwar Taj, Fazl Khan, Faisal Amin, Yaqub Sheikh, Shabbir Qureshi, Akbar Ayub, Gul Zafar, Gul Dad Khan, Tahir Sadiq, Iman Tahir, Sanaullah Masti Khel, Malik Qaramat, Sher Maghri, Shergill Memon, Aamir Dogar, Ibrahim Khan, Aurangzeb Khichi, Jafar Buzdar, Saifur Rehman, Alamgir Khan, Aftab Jahangir and Agha Siraj Durrani are also among those facing cases.

Fehmida Mirza, Zulfiqar Mirza, Dost Muhammad Khosa, Owais Leghari, Asad Qaiser, Aftab Sherpao, Hanif Abbasi, Anjum Aqeel and Tariq Fazl Chaudhry are also facing various cases.