15,000 nomination papers filed

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) stated that over 15,000 nomination papers were filed by candidates with electoral body as deadline expired on Monday.

As per details, ECP has forwarded data of all candidates to departments concerned including Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and State Bank of Pakistan (SBP).

Meanwhile, ECP is scrutinising the data submitted by candidates through online scrutiny system whereas the process of scrutiny will be summed up by June 19.

Following completion of scrutiny process, candidates can file appeals against the objections raised on nomination papers by June 22. Electoral body will dispose of appeals by June 27 whereas a revised list of candidates will be issued by June 29.

In response, data of over 7500 candidates has been checked through the ECP Scrutiny Cell, established at its secretariat here. Several cases of bank loan default and other irregularities could impede possibility of getting a clean chit from the Election Commission for contesting the elections.

The ECP extended the time of filing of nomination papers by two hours (from 4:00pm to 6:00pm) on the last day.

Former president General (R) Pervez Musharraf filed his nomination papers in Karachi, Layyah and Chitral. Former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi will contest Imran in NA-53 constituency of the federal capital, whereas former PTI MNA Ayesha Gulalai, who leads her party PTI-Gulalai, will also vie for this seat and face her former party chairman.

According to the ECP spokesperson, details of dozens of candidates have been declared to be extremely suspicious. All this record was being sent to the returning officers across Pakistan on fast-track basis so that during the scrutiny period of June 12-19, this data could be taken into account.

Meanwhile, the ECP decided to let the foreign observers as well as local observers to witness the electoral process and also observe the counting of ballot papers and consolidation of results.

In this connection, the ECP Secretary Babar Yaqoob Fateh Muhammad chaired a meeting, which was attended by representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Interior, the FBR and security agencies. The Election Commission reiterated to welcome the foreign observers to Pakistan in connection with the observation of the upcoming general election.

In a related development, all major political parties submitted their priority lists of candidates for reserved seats for minorities to the Election Commission. Both Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and recently revived Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) submitted ten names each for a total of 10 seats, which are allotted to each party in the National Assembly according to their relative strength, achieved through directly-contested polls.

PPP filed a list of nine names, whereas the PML-N submitted a list of seven candidates. All Pakistan Muslim League, Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP), Awami National Party (ANP), Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) also submitted their lists. Moreover, political parties also submitted lists for the 60 reserved women seats in the National Assembly and provincial assemblies, ahead of the deadline for submission of nominees, according to the revised schedule.

Meanwhile, a total 284 candidates have filed their nomination papers for seven National Assembly and 15 provincial assembly seats before Returning Officers (ROs) here in judicial complex, Rawalpindi on Monday.

Scrutiny of papers will start from today (Tuesday). In Rawalpindi district, as many as total 1,389 candidates 352 for National Assembly and 1,039 candidates for provincial assembly seats had obtained nomination forms from Returning Officers to contest upcoming general elections 2018. The candidates of different political parties included PML-N, PPP, PTI, AML, MMA, JI and several other parties were landing in judicial complex, Rawalpindi in joyful mood. Several independent candidates also submitted their nomination papers before ROs to contest general elections.

Some two days back, the top most candidates of PML-N, PPP, PTI, AML, JI etc. included Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Sheikh Rashid, Malik Ibrar, Shakil Awan, Hanif Abbasi, Barrister Daniyal Tanvir, Ziaullah Shah, Sardar Naseem have already submitted their nomination papers here in judicial complex, Rawalpindi.

On the last day, former provincial law minister Raja Basharat (APML) has submitted his nomination papers from NA-61, PP-14 and PP-10, Raja Hamid Nawaz from PP-12, Muhammad Nasir Raja from PP-10, Shaukat Butt from NA-61 and PP-14, Raza Ahmed Shah (MMA) from NA-60 and PP-17, Faheem Butt (MML) from NA-61, Raja Adnan from PP-11, Sardar Faheem from PP-13, Rana Abdul Rehman from PP-14, Shahzad Yaseen from PP-15, Iftikhar Shah from PP-16 and Sumera Gull (PPP) from NA-62. The candidates of different political parties and independent candidates were continuously coming here in judicial complex, Rawalpindi for submitting their nomination papers due to extension of time by Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

June 11 was the last day for candidates to file their nomination papers for the upcoming elections of national and provincial assemblies scheduled to be held on July 25.

According to changed schedule issued by Election Commission, the deadline to complete the scrutiny of nomination papers was extended from June 14 to June 19. Appeals against any objection to the decisions of Returning Officers can now be filed till June 22. The verdicts on these appeals will be announced by June 27, after which, the revised list of candidates will be issued on June 28.

Candidates will be able to withdraw their nomination papers on June 29, and the electoral body will announce the final list of candidates on the same day.

The electoral symbols will be issued to candidates on June 30. The amended schedule is also applicable for candidates contesting the elections on reserved seats.

Earlier, the Election Commission had set June 8 as the final date for submission of nomination papers.

The Returning Officer Haider Ali Khan received nomination papers from the candidates of NA-57 (Murree), Returning Officer Muhammad Aslam Gondal received nomination papers from NA-58 (Gujar Khan), Returning Officer Shahbraiz Akhtar Raja received nomination papers from NA-59 (Rawalpindi), Returning Officer Husnain Azhar Shah received nomination papers from NA-60 (Rawalpindi), Returning Officer Ejaz Ahmed Butter received nomination papers from NA-61 (Rawalpindi), Returning Officer Muhammad Ajmal Khan received nomination papers from NA-62 (Rawalpindi) and Returning Officer Tahir Abbas Sipra received nomination papers from NA-63 (Taxila).

Similarly, Returning Officer Muhammad Zulqarnain received nomination papers from PP-6 (Murree), Returning Officer Rai Pervez Sultan Bhatti received nomination papers from PP-7 (Kahuta), Returning Officer Mumtaz Ahmed Mughal received nomination papers from PP-8 (Gujar Khan), Returning Officer Ghulam Muhammad Sarfraz received nomination papers from PP-9 (Gujar Khan), Returning Officer Asim Hafiz received nomination papers from PP-10 (Rawalpindi), Returning Officer Ahmed Shahzad Gondal received nomination papers from PP-11 (Rawalpindi), Returning Officer Najeebullah Khan received nomination papers from PP-12 (Rawalpindi), Returning Officer Muhammad Afzal Hinjra received nomination papers from PP-13 (Rawalpindi), Returning Officer Maqsood Ahmed Qureshi received nomination papers from PP-14 (Rawalpindi), Returning Officer Maqsood Ahmed Anjum received nomination papers from PP-15 (Rawalpindi), Returning Officer Waqar Hussain Gondal received nomination papers from PP-16 (Rawalpindi), Returning Officer Naeem Shahbaz received nomination papers from PP-17 (Rawalpindi), Returning Officer Abdul Sattar Kallu received nomination papers from PP-18 (Rawalpindi), Returning Officer Faisal Rashid received nomination papers from PP-19 (Taxila) and Returning Officer Muhammad Ismael Jasra received nomination papers from PP-20 (Taxila).