PESHAWAR: The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz has nominated new entrant to the party Samar Haroon Bilour as well as Saeeda Jamshed Khan for the two National Assembly seats reserved for women from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which were allocated to it by the Election Commission of Pakistan.

A priority list of candidates, issued by PML-N President Nawaz Sharif, mentioned the name of Ms Bilour at Serial No 1 and that of Ms Saeeda, who is wife of former MPA Jamshed Khan Mohmand, at Serial No 2.

Also, candidates Nargis Ali and Syeda Sonia Hussain have filed nomination papers for the seats.

The priority list was submitted with the joint provincial election commissioner (elections) of the ECP, Mohammad Farid Afridi, who is the returning officer for filling the two seats.

As the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf was declared not entitled to seats reserved for women and non-Muslims, the ECP had allotted five out of 10 slots of MNA seats reserved for women from KP to PML-N, three to Jamiat Ulema-i-Pakistan and two to Pakistan Peoples Party-Parliamentarians.

However, the priority list of the PML-N was short of two candidates, so the ECP asked it to submit two more names to fill those seats.

According to the schedule, scrutiny of nomination papers will be completed until July 14, appeals against acceptance or rejection of papers would be filed until July 17, whereas decisions on those appeals will be made by the appellate tribunal until July 21. Withdrawal of nomination papers by the candidates could be made until July 23 after which the final list of candidates will be released on July 24.

As the last date for filing nomination papers expired on Friday, five candidates did sofor the Senate seat reserved for women in KP, which was declared vacant by the ECP after the resignation of Dr Sania Nishtar.

According to the schedule, polling will take place on July 31, with provincial election commissioner Saeed Gul acting as the returning officer.

Published in Dawn, July 12th, 2025