April 17, 2008	Thursday	Rabi-us-Sani 10, 1429

LAHORE, April 16: Former prime minister Mohammad Nawaz Sharif, Pakistan Muslim League-N president Shahbaz Sharif and Hamza Shahbaz obtained nomination papers on Wednesday for the coming by-elections.

Nawaz Sharif is expected to contest for the NA-123 seat, Shahbaz Sharif for Punjab assembly’s PP-154 seat and Hamza Shahbaz for PP-141.

Mian Ikhlaq Guddoo of the PML-Q has obtained nomination papers for NA-123.

The returning officer for NA-119 and PP-141 issued five nomination papers.

Six papers were issued for NA-123 and eight for PP-154.

—APP

Our Reporter in Rawalpindi adds: Nawaz Sharif and Shahbaz Sharif also obtained nomination papers for NA-52 and NA-55 seats of Rawalpindi for the June 3 by-election.

They obtained the papers through PML-N lawyer Kahliq Hussain Bhatti. Shahbaz Sharif also obtained papers for PP-10.

Others who obtained the papers include Nasir Mehmood Raja, Chaudhry Tahir Ayub, Naseer Gul Pasha, Maqbool Ahmed, Sardar Naseer Ahmed and Raja Abdul Ghafoor for NA-52; Hafiz Abdullah Butt, Tariq Mehmood and Sardar Naseer Ahmed for NA-55 and Chaudhry Masood Akhtar, Chaudhry Wajid and Mirza Mansoor Beig for PP-10.

The last date for submitting nomination papers is April 21.

In the general elections, the NA-52 seat was won by Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan of the PML-N with 97,747 votes. Muhammad Nasir Raja of the PML-Q secured 54,988 votes.

The NA-55 seat was won by Makhdoom Javed Hashmi of the PML-N with 76,980 votes. Malik Amir Fida Paracha of the Pakistan People’s Party got 37,397 votes and former minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed secured 15,780 votes.

The PP-10 seat was won by Malik Abrar Ahmed of the PML-N who obtained 35,532 votes. Chaudhry Masood Akhtar got 15,380 votes.