ISLAMABAD, July 24: Wednesday was an unusual day in the Islamabad High Court as litigants, court officials and journalists, instead of witnessing the court proceedings, were more interested in catching a glimpse of the country’s future president.

Two candidates belonging to the ruling PML-N, one to the opposition PPP and six others filed their nomination papers for the presidential election.

Except for PML-N’s Mamnoon Hussain and Zafar Iqbal Jhagra and PPP’s Raza Rabbani, six others appeared to be more interested in attracting media attention than contesting for the post of president.

The six did not even mention the names of their proposers and seconders in the papers which is mandatory. They reached the IHC much earlier than the presiding officer and candidates of the PML-N and the PPP.

The time for filing nomination papers was 8am to 12 noon. Mamnoon Hussain arrived at about 10.30am with a group of supporters.

He was accompanied by PML-N’s information secretary Mushahidullah Khan, Zafar Ali Shah and Minister of State for Information Technology Anusha Rehman.

Mr Hussain submitted three separate papers. Senator Mushahidullah and MNAs Malik Ibrar and Tahria Aurangzeb were his proposers and Haji Akram Ansari, Zafar Ali Shah and Zeb Jaffer seconders.

PML-N’s secretary general Iqbal Zafar Jhagra submitted two nomination papers as a covering candidate for Mr Hussain. His name was proposed by Malik Rafique Rajwana, Baleeghur Rehman and seconded by Dr Darshan and Mian Najeebullah.

While IHC Chief Justice Mohammad Anwar Khan Kasi was examining the papers of PML-N’s candidates, Raza Rabbani arrived with more than two dozens parliamentarians and workers of the PPP.

Those accompanying him included PPP’s senior leaders Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah, Aitzaz Ahsan, Makhdoom Amin Fahim, Farhatullah Babar and Qamar Zaman Kaira and Senator Kalsoom Parveen of the BNP-Awami.

Talking to reporters after submitting his papers, Mamnoon Hussain said that if elected he would try to keep the office non-aligned and non-political.

When asked why leaders of other coalition parties had not come with him, he said that since the party had finalised his name in the morning, he was unable to contact coalition partners. He said the PML-N wanted to take all stakeholders on board and would seek their cooperation in the election.

Mr Rabbani told reporters that a schedule for his election campaign would be announced after the scrutiny and acceptance of his papers.

He said the presidential election being held after the smooth transition of power from one civilian government to another would strengthen democracy in the country. He said the 18th Amendment had introduced the balance of power between the offices of the president and the prime minister and determined the real role of constitutional bodies.

Iftikhar A. Khan adds: According to the Election Commission of Pakistan, 33 nomination papers were filed by 24 candidates throughout the country -- 18 in Islamabad, seven each in Karachi and Lahore and one in Peshawar. No paper was filed in Quetta.

The nomination papers of retired Justice Wajihuddin Ahmad of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf were submitted in Karachi and Lahore.

Most other candidates filed their nomination papers either without any proposer or seconder or nominated by those who are not lawmakers.

In what appeared to be a clear publicity stunt, the papers of one Shakil Ahmad Khan mentioned “My PM Nawaz Sharif” as proposer and President Asif Ali Zardari as seconder.

A candidate from Peshawar filed his papers without any proposer or seconder.