LAHORE, Sept 24: Faiz Ali Chishti, a retired lieutenant-general who was a key character in the Zia-ul-Haq regime, was among 21 people who collected nomination papers for the Oct 6 presidential election from the Election Commission’s Lahore office on Monday.
Pakistan Christian National Party chairperson Joseph Franscis also collected a nomination form. It may be mentioned that he has moved the Supreme Court seeking an early hearing of his constitutional petition for the acceptance of his nomination as a presidential candidate against Gen Musharraf. The petition challenges the provisions of the Constitution, particularly Article 41, which allow only a Muslim to run for the post of the head of the state. He has pleaded that all provisions for the Constitution which show discrimination on the basis of religious faith should be struck down because the basic law guarantees that fundamental rights are inviolable.
His party is a component of the Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy and he is said to have covert support of the Pakistan People’s Party.
Advocate Muazzam Iqbal Gill, who has kept his tradition of not leaving any election uncontested, was among those who collected nomination forms.
APP adds: Around 50 people from across the country have obtained nomination papers.
“The figure hovers around 50,” Election Commission Secretary Kanwar Mohammad Dilshad told APP in Islamabad on Monday afternoon.
“They belong to different walks of life,” he said and mentioned that lawyers, clerks and people from other sections of the society had obtained nomination papers.
So far, one major candidate, Wajihuddin Ahmad, a retired Supreme Court Judge, has come forward to contest the election against President Pervez Musharraf.
His nomination papers have been obtained by lawyers.
Some people from different cities are also reported to have sent written applications to the Election Commission, some with bio-data, seeking nomination papers or inclusion their names in the list of contestants.
The Election Commission has completed arrangements for conducting the election.
The nominations can be filed by 12pm on Sept 27.
ELECTORAL ROLLS: The Election Commission has clarified that any person can apply for extract of the electoral rolls for any candidate submitting an application to the registration officer concerned.
“Personal appearance of a candidate for the office of the president of Pakistan or for National/ Provincial Assemblies elections is not compulsory for obtaining the extract of the electoral rolls from the office of the registration officer/assistant election commissioner/ deputy election commissioner concerned,” said a spokesman.
