PESHAWAR: Thirty four candidates have submitted their nomination papers in different categories for the Senate elections from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on the last day, says a statement issued from the office of returning officer.

Chief of his own faction of JUI Maulana Samiul Haq, whose party has no representation in the provincial assembly, is contesting the polls as independent candidate. He has submitted papers for both general and technocrat seats.

The Maulana filed his papers on Wednesday and two MPAs, who recently joined PTI, became his proposer and seconder. Besides Maulana Samiul Haq, Nisar Khan is also in the race for the Senate seat as independent candidate. The statement showed that total 20 candidates have filed papers for seven general seats, six candidates for two technocrat seats including ulema and eight candidates submitted papers for the two seats reserved for women.

PML-N has fielded four candidates for general, one for technocrat and two for women seats. The PML-N candidates include Ali Afzal Khan Jadoon, Haji Dildar Khan, Syed Mohammad Sabir Shah, Mohammad Qasim Shah (general), Dilawar Kahn (technocrat) and Raeesa Daud and Sobia Shahid for women seats.

PPP is contesting the polls on two general seats and allotted tickets to Faisal Sakhi Butt and Bahramand Tangi. The PPP has no candidate for the technocrat seat while Rubina Khalid is its candidate for the women reserved seat. PTI has seven candidates for the general seats and awarded tickets to Mohammad Ayub, Khial Zaman, Fida Mohammad, Faisal Javed, Abdul Latif Yousafzai, Zafarullah Khattak and Ali Khan.

Mohammad Azam Khan Swati and Abdul Latif Yousafzai are the PTI candidates for technocrat seats while Meher Taj Roghani and Naureen Farooq Khan are candidates of the party for the women seats. ANP’s Masood Abbas has submitted papers for the general seat and Shagufta Malik filed papers for the women seat.

Maulana Gul Naseeb Khan and Mohammad Talha Mahmood of JUI-F have filed papers for general category. Mohammad Yaqoob Shaikh is the candidate of JUI-F for technocrat category and Naeema Kishwar Khan submitted papers for the women seat.

Jamaat-i-Islami’s Mushtaq Ahmad Khan and Abdul Wasi filed papers for general seats. Qaumi Watan Party’s Mohammad Ghufran submitted papers for general seat and Anisa Zeb Tahirkheli is its candidate for the women seat.

Pir Maqbool Ahmad, KP election commissioner, is the returning officer for Senate polls in the province.

The scrutiny of nomination papers will be completed till February 12 whereas the last date of filing appeals against acceptance or rejection of nomination papers is February 15.

An appellate tribunal consisting of Justice Mussarat Hilali of Peshawar High Court will decide the appeals till February 17 while February 19 is the last date for the withdrawal of nomination papers. Polling will take place on March 3.

Published in Dawn, February 9th, 2018