ISLAMABAD: As many as 180 candidates have received forms for the submission of nomination papers to contest elections for three seats of the National Assembly from Islamabad and 19 candidates- including independent and from various political parties- have submitted their nomination papers.

The last date for the submission of nominations has been extended to June 11 and more nominations will be submitted in the coming days.

As many as 43 people received nomination forms for NA-52, 47 people for NA-53 and 90 for NA-54.

Some candidates from Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), PPP and Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) have also submitted their nomination papers with returning officers for the upcoming general election.

Former MNA from Islamabad, PTI’s Asad Umar submitted his nomination papers for NA-54. Mr Umar did not have the nomination fee with him at the time and so asked his fellows to deposit the amount, which is Rs30,000.

JI leader and former MNA from Islamabad, Mian Aslam also submitted his nomination papers for two constituencies from Islamabad.

Two PPP candidates, Raja Imran Ashraf and Sibtul Haider Bokhari, submitted nomination papers for NA-54 and NA-53 respectively. Mr Ashraf is the brother of former prime minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf and Mr Bokhari is the brother of former Senate chairman Nayyar Hussain Bukhari.

Currently PPP General Secretary, Nayyar Bukhari told Dawn he is on medication which is why he decided to not contest the elections. He said the PPP will announce a final list of candidates in the next 48 hours and the party manifesto by next week.

PML-N General Secretary Islamabad Malik Shujaur Rehman told Dawn the party will finalise candidates for Islamabad in a few days.

“If a final list is not compiled yet, all candidates will file their nomination papers on the last day and after finalising the list, those who were not selected by the party will withdraw their nominations,” he said.

Leaders of various political parties have also filed nomination papers in the garrison city including PML-N’s Malik Abrar Ahmed, Mohammad Hanif Abbasi, Barrister Danial Ahmed Chaudhry, Malik Iftikhar Ahmed, Pirzada Rahat Masood Qadoosi, Chaudhry Usama, PTI’s Ijaz Khan Jazi, Arif Abbasi, JI’s Raza Ahmed Shah and PPP’s Mukhtar Abbasi.

Published in Dawn, June 8th, 2018