August 21, 2002	Wednesday	Jamadi-us-Saani 11,1423

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RAWALPINDI, Aug 20: The Mutahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) will submit the nomination papers of its candidates on Friday.

The Naib Ameer of the Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) in Punjab, Dr Mohammad Kamal, announced the decision in a meeting of the political committee of the JI on Tuesday.

It was also decided in the meeting that all the component parties would comply with the decisions of the MMA parliamentary board and would run a joint election campaign.

A spokesman for the Pakistan People’s Party Parliamentarians said the party’s contestants for various National and provincial assembly seats in the Rawalpindi district would file their nomination papers with the returning officers on Friday.

The other major influential group of the former federal minister, Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, plans filing their papers on August 24, which is the last day for filing of papers.

Shiekh Rasheed is so far claiming to be a contestant on the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz ticket, but the situation is still a bit murky.

Meanwhile, candidates continued obtaining the nomination papers on Tuesday, but so far none of them has filed them.

Some prominent personalities who obtained forms on Tuesday were, Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, Ijazul Haq, Anwarul Haq, Sardar Shaukat Hayat, local lawyer’s leader Qari Abdul Rashid, the Cantonment Board leader, Hafiz Hussain Ahmed Malik, and Khalid Nawaz Bobby.

The delay in filing of the papers is due to the reason that the political parties are yet to decide their final lineup for the elections and also making adjustments with their allies.

The difficult and complex details being sought by the Election Commission is another reason for the delay.

The various political parties are likely to finalize their candidates over the next couple of days after which the filing process may pickup pace.

Sheikh Rashid Ahmed commenting on the forms said these were far too complicated and an ordinary person cannot even read them.

The five page document requires the candidates to mention minute details regarding their educational qualifications, occupation, tax payment, liabilities and assets held by them, their spouse and dependents.

The candidates have also been asked to file a declaration that neither they nor their dependents and spouses have defaulted bank loans, the government dues and utility charges over the period of six months preceding the filing of the papers.