Several contestants file nomination papers

Rawalpindi : Several candidates including senior politicians Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan and PML-N leader Hanif Abbasi have fielded their sons to contest upcoming by-elections on National Assembly seats vacated after the resignations of PTI lawmakers in Rawalpindi. The candidates submitted their nomination papers before returning officer here on Wednesday.

Taimur Ali Khan, the son of Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan has submitted his nomination papers from NA-59 Rawalpindi-III constituency as an independent candidate.

Meanwhile, Hanif Abbasi’s son Hammad Hanif Abbasi would contest by-polls on two seats – NA-60 Rawalpindi IV and NA-62 Rawalpindi VI. The two seats fell vacant after NA speaker Raja Parvez Ashraf accepted the resignations of Awami Muslim League (AML) chief Sheikh Rashid and his nephew Sheikh Rashid Shafique. Sumaira Gul, PPP stalwart also filed her nomination papers for by-elections from the NA-62 constituency.

Former Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed is in Adiala Jail for different cases. His nephew Sheikh Rashid Shafiq submitted nomination papers of Sheikh Rashid Ahmed. Hammad Abbasi told media persons that his political training has been completed and hoped that he would win elections on both seats.

On Jan 27, The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) issued a schedule for by-elections on 33 seats of the National Assembly.

The top electoral body in its notification said it had called the elections “in pursuance of Section 57 of the Elections Act 2017 (Act Na XXXIII of 2017), read with Section 102 and clause (4) of Article 224 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan” on the seats that fell vacant due to resignations of the PTI lawmakers.

The ECP had directed the candidates to submit the nomination papers to the returning officers from Feb 6 to 8. The publication of names of the nominated candidates will be made on Feb 9. After the allotment of election symbols to the candidates on Feb 23, the voting will be held on March 16.