10 institutions examining papers of 185 Senate aspirants

ISLAMABAD: Up to 10 institutions, including NAB, FBR, SBP, PTCL, Wapda, and Sui Gas, have put up focal persons for the scrutiny of 185 candidates in the run for 52 Senate seats within a couple of days. Defaulters of bank loans and utility bills will be disqualified for the polls.
Returning officers will accept documents of the candidates who will get NOCs from these focal persons. Up to nine candidates are in the run for two seats of Islamabad, 43 for four seats of Fata, 22 for 11 seats of Punjab, 40 for 12 seats of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and as many of Balochistan each and 29 for 11 seats of Sindh.
The Election Commission of Pakistan’s Acting Secretary, Sher Afgan, told this scribe that Nadra has submitted the record of all candidates with the commission. This record has been passed on to the FBR, NAB, SBP and other institutions online. He added that the record examined will be transferred to returning officers on February 18 online, who will decide about the disqualification of candidates on the basis of NOCs issued to them.
Scrutiny of applications of candidates will be held on February 19-20 and the candidates can withdraw their documents by February 25. He said the notification for successful candidates of the Senate will be issued on March 10 and they will be administered oath of office on March 12 after retirement of their predecessors on March 11. He said there is no condition for an educational degree though there is a slot in the form for academic qualification. He said the candidates who will give a false statement in this slot will be liable to be disqualified even after their success.