Pakistan’s top election body on Sunday told the Supreme Court that nomination papers of 76 per cent of candidates of jailed former premier Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party were accepted for the February 8 general elections.

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) submitted the data in response to a contempt petition filed by the PTI party that the electoral body had not followed a direction by the apex court to address its concerns about the lack of a level playing field in the run-up to polls. The ECP stated that 598 out of a total of 843 nomination papers of PTI candidates for the National Assembly were accepted, while another 1,398 out of 1,777 candidatures for provincial assemblies were approved.

“The ratio of acceptance of nomination papers of PTI candidates for election to the nation and provincial assemblies is 76.18 per cent,” the ECP said, adding that the PTI had a right to appeal the rejection of candidatures before the appellate election tribunal.

It also said the data showed PTI candidates, their proposers, and seconders were provided with a level playing field. The ECP also informed the court that its officials met with the PTI leaders and assured the party that a level playing field would be provided to all the candidates and the election commission’s secretary, who looked after the administrative affairs of the ECP, took follow-up steps on the matter. “The commission has also issued instructions to the Chief Commissioner Islamabad and all the four provincial chief secretaries, inspector(s) general of police, and all the four provincial election commissioners. In turn, the provincial election commissioners have issued the instructions to the DROs (deputy returning officers) and ROs (returning officers),” it said.