Kulsoom Nawaz submits nomination papers for NA-120 by-polls

LAHORE: Kulsoom Nawaz, the wife of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, on Friday submitted nominations papers for by-polls in NA-120 Lahore-III, the seat fell vacant after disqualification of her husband on July 28 in Panama papers case.

Kulsoom Nawaz late on Thursday signed nomination papers as PML-N decided to field former first lady for by-polls.

Two forms of Kalsoom Nawaz were submitted for NA-120. In the first form Nazeer Khan Swati and Malik Furqan are the proposer and seconder respectively, while Sohail Iqbal and Syed Muhammad Azmat proposed and seconded her in the second form.

Though Kulsoom Nawaz successfully led the party’s movement for the release of her incarcerated husband after a military coup by Gen Musharraf in 1999, she never contested election to actively part in Pak politics.

It is to mention here that the former prime minister had earlier wished his younger brother Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif to succeed him as prime minister (after contesting from NA-120 to become a National Assembly member).

Later, the name of Shahbaz was apparently withdrawn after some senior party members apprehended that in the absence of younger Sharif from Punjab not only the pace of ongoing mega projects in the province would be affected but the party’s energies would also be diverted to his election.        

Meanwhile, Yasmeen Rashid of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf has also submitted her nomination papers as PTI had already decided to field for NA-120 by-poll.

Candidates for the NA-120 by-election started filing nomination papers from Thursday (August 10).

Pakistan People’s Party candidates Zubair Kardar and Faisal Mir have also filed the nominations papers.

On Thursday, two independent candidates had also submitted their papers.

According to media reports, as many as thirty-five candidates have received nomination papers for the by-poll scheduled to be held on September 17.

Submission of the papers will take place between August 10-12.

The scrutiny of the papers will be held between August 15 and 17, while the final list of candidates will be issued on August 26, according to the ECP.