PTI announces candidates for Punjab by-elections

LAHORE: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Wednesday announced its candidates for upcoming by-elections on the Punjab’s National and provincial assemblies’ seats, reports Geo News.

PTI Punjab acting president Hammad Azhar announced the names of PTI-backed candidates for April 21 by-polls to be held on six NA and 12 PA constituencies in the province. However, it is not clear whether the PTI-backed candidates will run for the by-elections as independent or from the platform of the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC).

The PTI-backed candidates to contest April 21 by-polls are Shahzad Farooq (NA-119, Lahore), Sardar Muhammad Hussain Dogar (NA-132, Kasur), Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi (PP-32, Gujrat), Hafiz Zeeshan (PP-149, Lahore), Moonis Elahi (PP-158, Lahore), Yousuf Meo (PP-164, Lahore), Aijaz Bhatti (PP-139, Sheikhupura), Hakim Nisar (PP-22, Chakwal) and Owais Qasim (PP-54, Narowal).

The by-elections will be held in six constituencies of the National Assembly, 12 provincial assembly constituencies in Punjab, two each in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan and one in Sindh province.

According to the schedule, candidates filed their nomination papers from March 16 to 18, whereas the nominated candidates’ names were published on March 18. Similarly, the scrutiny of papers by the returning officers (ROs) was conducted on March 21, while appeals could be filed against rejection or acceptance of nomination till March 25. The appellate tribunal will have to decide on the appeals by March 28 and the revised list of candidates will be issued the same day.

Candidates will be able to withdraw from the by-election by March 29 and the next day, the candidates will be allotted election symbols.