Samar Bilour files nomination papers to contest by-polls from PK-78

PESHAWAR: Samar Haroon Bilour, widow of Awami National Party (ANP) martyred leader Haroon Bilour, on Wednesday filed nomination papers with the returning officer to contest the by-election for the provincial assembly constituency PK-78 Peshawar.

She filed the nomination papers through her son Danial Bilour in the presence of party workers at the office of Regional Election Commissioner Abdul Qadir, who is the returning officer for by-election of provincial assembly seat PK-78.

The ANP has nominated Samar Bilour to contest the by-election for PK-78.

Talking to reporters after submitting the nomination papers, Danial Bilour said that all the opposition parties had assured to the ANP leadership that they would support his mother Samar Bilour in the by-election.

To a question that whether Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf has made any contact to withdraw or contest election against the widow of Haroon Bilour, he said that no such contact was made by the PTI with his family or the party leadership.

However, he said that if PTI wanted to contest election against his mother then the ANP was ready for that.

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) postponed election for PK-78 after the assassination of ANP candidate Haroon Bilour on July 11. The by-election is slated for October 14 seat.

District Election Commissioner Abdul Qadir said that so far only one candidate had submitted nomination papers. He said that 17 candidates had submitted nomination papers for PK-78 before the postponement of the election.

The official said that as per the rules those who had submitted nomination papers were not required to re-submit the papers. However, he said that if a candidate wished to withdraw from the election, he could do so.Though Samar Bilour is new to politics, her family has been in politics since long. She is the wife of late Haroon Bilour, who was the son of ANP stalwart Bashir Bilour.

She is the daughter of Irfanullah Khan Marwat, who was a minister in the Sindh government, and granddaughter of former president of Pakistan Ghulam Ishaq Khan.

The opposition parties in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly have pledged support to Samar Bilour.