PESHAWAR: Up to 92 aspirants from different political parties have obtained nomination forms from the provincial office of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for 11 seats of Senate from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The Election Commission of Pakistan had announced Senate election for seven general, two technocrat and Ulema and two women seats in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.As per the provincial Election Commission, the returning officer had issued 58 nomination forms to aspirants for the seven general seats.
There were 20 aspirants for two technocrats and Ulema seats. Nomination forms were issued to 14 female candidates for two women seats in KP. Only one candidate of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Ali Afzal Khan Jadoon has submitted nomination papers with the returning officer so far whereas February 8 is the last date for filing the nomination papers.
Prominent among those who obtained nomination forms were Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)’s Noor Alam Khan and Mehr Taj Roghani, who is presently deputy speaker of the KP Assembly, Rubina Khalid and Shazia Tehmas from the Pakistan People’s Party and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Advocate General Abdul Latif Yousafzai, Pir Sabir Shah of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, Usman Saifullah, Anwar Saifullah, Humayun Saifullah, Jehangir Saifullah, Asad Saifullah, Malik Riaz Ahmad, Zahir Ali Shah from Pakistan People’s Party Parliamentarian and Faisal Javed.
The other candidates who obtained nomination forms are Engr Tariq Khattak, Mansour Abbas, Faiza Bibi, PTI’s Rabia Basri and Dildar Khan from the PML-N. Ilyas Ahmad Bilour from Awami National Party and Farhatullah Babar from PPP were also out of 20 candidates who got nomination forms for the technocrat seats.
As per notification of the ECP, the provincial election commissioner Pir Maqbool Ahmad was nominated the returning officer for the Senate election in KP. The polling would be held on March 3. The last date for publication of the names of nominated candidates is February 9.
As per the Election Commission of Pakistan election schedule, the last date for scrutiny of nomination papers is February 12. It said the last date for filing of appeals against acceptance/rejection of nominations is February 15, the last date for disposal of appeals by the tribunal is February 17 and the last date for publication of revised list of candidates is February 18.
As per the notification, the last date for withdrawal of candidature is February 19.The election will be held on the premises of the provincial assemblies in the four provinces from 9am to 4pm on March 3.