04 July 2004	Sunday	15 Jamadi-ul-Awwal 1425

ISLAMABAD, July 3: Chief Election Commissioner Irshad Hasan Khan on Saturday announced Aug 18 as by-elections date to fill the two recently-vacated National Assembly seats in Attock and Tharparkar in favour of Senator Shaukat Aziz.

These two seats, NA-59 (Attock-III) and NA-229 (Tharparker-I), have been vacated by Ms Eman Waseem and Arbab Zakaullah, respectively, for Finance Minister and prime minister in-waiting Shaukat Aziz to facilitate his election to the National Assembly.

According to the schedule, nomination papers will be filed from July 6-8.

Papers will be scrutinized from July 9-10 while appeals against the acceptance or rejection of the nominations could be filed till July 14.

Returning officers will take final decisions on these appeals on July 19.

Last date for withdrawal of the candidature is July 20, and the revised and final list of candidates will be published on July 21.

The commission has appointed returning officers and their assistants to conduct by-elections in the two constituencies.

BY-POLL TRIBUNALS: Chief Election Commissioner Irshad Hasan Khan on Saturday appointed appellate tribunals comprising judges of the Sindh and Lahore High Courts for the by-elections scheduled for Aug 18.

According to the EC, Justice Muhammad Akhtar Shabbir and Justice Tanvir Bashir Ansari of the Lahore High Court will be the appellate tribunals for NA-59 (Attock-III) while Justice Amir Hani Muslim and Justice Syed Zawwar Hassain Jaffery from the Sindh High Court will be appellate tribunals for NA-229 (Tharparker-I).-APP