By-polls on 2 NA seats: Up to 20 candidates submit papers

NOWSHERA: A total of 20 candidates hailing from various political and religiopolitical parties on Wednesday submitted nomination papers to contest the by-elections on two vacant seats - NA-25 and NA-26 - in the Nowshera district.

The by-polls for the two vacant National Assembly seats are slated for March 16.

It may be mentioned that NA-25 and NA-26 seats of the Lower House of Parliament fell vacant after the NA Speaker Raja Pervez Ashraf accepted the resignations tendered by Pervez Khattak, then the federal minister for defence, and Dr Imran Khattak.

District Election Commissioner Zahir Khan and Election Officer Hassan Raza have been appointed as election returning officers for the NA-25 and NA-26, respectively.

Pervez Khattak, who is also Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) provincial president, his son Ismail Khattak, Khan Pervez of the Pakistan people’s Party, his son Jamshed Khan, Mian Muhammad Umar Kakakhel of PTI, former MPA Ikhtiar Wali of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, Mahmood Ahmad of Tehreek-e-Labbaik and Malik Fayyaz submitted nomination papers for the by-elections on NA-25 seat.

Similarly, former PTI MNA Dr Imran Khattak, former PTI minister Mian Khaliqur Rahman, Ashfaq Ahmad, Ghulam Idrees and Abdullah Khattak, of PPP, Iran Badshah and Mian Wajahat of the Awami National Party, Muhammad Kashif, Saleh Muhammad, Bilal Saeed, Jan Muhammad and MIan Azizul Haq filed nomination papers of by-polls on NA-26 seat.

Wednesday was the last day for the submission of papers for the NA-25 and NA-26 by-polls.

The list of the candidates will be displayed today while scrutiny of the papers of contestants will be completed by February 13.

Appeals against rejection or acceptance of papers will be filed with the respective appellate tribunals by February 16 while decisions on these appeals would be announced on the 20th of the current month.

Similarly, the revised list of candidates will be displayed on February 21 while the final list will be displayed on 23rd and the election symbols will be allotted to the candidates as well. The candidates can withdraw their nomination papers by February 25.