ISLAMABAD, Feb 11: Twenty-five candidates aspiring for Senate seats filed their papers on Saturday from the federal capital, Fata as well as the three provinces, except for Balochistan, on the first day of the three-day process of filing of nominations.
Candidates submitting the papers, include former chairman Senate and leader of the house Wasim Sajjad, ruling party information secretary Tariq Azeem, Education Minister Javed Ashraf Qazi and two advisers to the prime minister, Mohammad Ali Durrani and Nilofer Bakhtiar.
The senators filing their papers are among those 50 members selected for retirement on the expiry of three years during a lot held last month.
Minister for Population and Welfare Chaudhry Shahbaz has proposed and Health Minister Mohammad Nasir Khan seconded the name of Wasim Sajjad from Islamabad.
Nasrullah Darashek of the Pakistan Muslim League has proposed and MNA Ijaz Chaudhry seconded the name of Tariq Azeem.
On Friday last, the Election Commission asked the ticket holders for the Senate elections to attach their tickets while submitting nomination forms.
Six candidates from Punjab have filed their nominations: PML-N leader Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Education Minister Lt-Gen (retd) Javed Ashraf Qazi, Mohammad Ali Durrani and Naeem Hussain Chattha. Ms Gulshan Saeed and Nilofer Bakhtiar submitted their papers for the women reserved seats.
From Sindh, six candidates submitted their papers: Ahmed Ali and Col (retd) Tahir Hussain Mashhadi from the MQM, Justice (retd) Abdul Razzaq Taheem of the PML-F. Muttahida members Ms Abida Saif and Nighat Mirza Hina filed their nominations for the women seat while Ms Saba Rabbani Tiwana submitted her paper as an independent candidate.
From the NWFP, two MMA members Syed Marauf Shah Shirazi and Qari Mohammad Abdullah filed nominations.
Nine members submitted their papers from Fata: Haji Surat Khan, Abdul Qadir Doctor, Maulana Gul Ramzan, Maulana Mohammad Saleh Shah, Abdul Rashid, Maulana Abdul Rehman Wazir, Sher Mohammad Wazir, Akbar Jan and Mohammad Ahsan.
Acting Chief Election Commissioner Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar will also act as appellate authority to decide appeals arising out of decisions of the returning officers rejecting nomination papers of the candidates aspiring for the Senate seats from the federal capital and Fata. Such appeals should be filed with Election Commission Secretary Kanwar Mohammad Dilshad and will be heard in the commission’s secretariat.
Justice Nasim Sikandar of the Lahore High Court and member election commission will decide appeals from Punjab and the NWFP. Appeals can be filed before the secretary election commission and will be heard in the commission’s secretariat.
For Sindh, Justice Mohammad Sadiq Leghari of the Sindh High Court (SHC) and member of the commission will decide appeals. Appeals can be filed before the SHC registrar while the cases will be held in the high court.
Justice Ahmed Khan Lashari of the Balochistan High Court and member of the commission will decide cases from Balochistan in the provincial high court.
These appeals should be filed in the form of a memorandum, which should state the date of rejection of the nomination and the grounds of appeals and should also be accompanied by a certified copy of the order of rejecting nominations.
The election for two seats from Islamabad and four seats from Fata would be held on March 4, in the National Assembly while the provincial assemblies will elect 11 each Senators on March 6. The new senators will assume their office on March 11.
According to the schedule, scrutiny of the papers will be held on Feb 14 and appeals against the acceptance or rejection of papers could be filed by Feb 16 with the supreme poll body or any other nominated officer. Appeals will be decided from Feb 18 to 20.
Candidates can withdraw their papers by Feb 21 and the commission will publish a final list of contending candidates on Feb 22.
