LAHORE: The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) has nominated Waleed Iqbal to contest Senate by-election for general seat (Punjab).

However, the party has not yet decided about its final candidate to contest on a seat reserved for woman from the province.

The two seats have fallen vacant due to denotification of PML-N senators Haroon Akhtar Khan and Saadia Abbasi for having dual nationality.

Mr Khan is the younger brother of Humayun Akhtar Khan who recently joined the PTI and lost the by-election against the PML-N’s Khawaja Saad Rafique in NA-131. Ms Abbasi is sister of former Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi.

As PTI Chairman Imran Khan has issued Mr Iqbal’s nomination notification requesting the returning officer to allot the party symbol, the party sources say Mr Iqbal has been accommodated as he was twice denied the party ticket from NA-131 despite the party chairman’s commitment.

On the other hand, around a dozen PTI women workers have decided to apply for the Senate by-election on a seat reserved for woman. They include Dr Zarqa Suharwardi Taimur who has announced that she will submit her papers the reserved seat for woman.

She had earlier contested Senate by-election (on the party ticket) on the seat fallen vacant due to disqualification of the PML-N’s Nihal Hashmi on March 1.

Though PML-N was in power and had majority in Punjab Assembly it was a sure defeat for the PTI candidates, Ms Taimur had bagged 39 votes despite the fact that the party had 30 votes.

The ECP has notified that the candidates can file their nomination papers till Oct 31. The election will take place at the Punjab Assembly on Nov 15.

Published in Dawn, October 30th , 2018