QUETTA: The Provincial Election Commissioner, who is also the returning officer for the by-election to a seat of the Senate, rejected nomination papers filed by two candidates of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on Monday.

The technocrat seat in the upper house of parliament fell vacant after the death of Senator Agha Shahbaz Khan Durrani on June 24.

Agha Shakeel Durrani and Agha Jahanzeb Durrani, brothers of the late senator, filed their nomination papers for the seat.

Only two people filed their nomination papers, officials of the election commission told Dawn.

Provincial Election Commissioner, Balochistan, Naeem Majeed Jaffar scrutinised the papers and rejected both on technical grounds.

Both the candidates do not meet requirements and conditions for a seat of technocrat which requires minimum 16 years of education and 20 years of experience.

The two, however, can challenge the rejection before the chief election commissioner till July 17.

Published in Dawn, July 16th, 2017