33 independents of KP NA seats have three days to join any party

ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) late Saturday night issued notifications of returned candidates of the National Assembly belonging to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and gave three days to 33 independents to join a political party, if they like.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has a total of 45 NA seats, whereas notification of returned candidates of 36 constituencies has been issued. Election in NA-08 was postponed owing to the death of a contesting candidate. The rest of the constituencies’ elections have either been challenged or repolling ordered at some polling stations, including NA-43.

Out of the 36 notified returned candidates, one each belongs to PMLN (NA-14), PPPP (NA-45) and Majlis Wahdate Muslimeen (NA-37) while the rest of the candidates made their way to the National Assembly as independent candidates. The notification of returned candidates has been issued in pursuance of sub-section (1) of Section 98 of the Elections Act, 2017.

According to the notification, the independent candidate may join a political party within three days of the issuance of the notification under proviso of sub-clause (d) & (e) of clause (6) of Article 51 of the Constitution of the lslamic Republic of Pakistan.

Prominent among those who have returned are Saleem Rehman, Gohar Ali Khan, Omar Ayub Khan, Asad Qaiser and Shandana Gulzar, only woman elected on general seat from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.