Asif Ali Zardari, Mahmood Khan Achakzai submit nomination papers for Presidential Elections going to be held on 9th March

ISLAMABAD, March 02 (SABAH): Pakistan People’s Party Co-Chairman

Asif Ali Zardari and Pashtun­khwa Milli Awami Party (PKMAP) Chief Mahmood Khan Achakzai have submitted nomination papers for the Presidential Elections going to be held in the country on 9^th March.
Asif Ali Zardari, the joint candidate of PPP and the PML-N, and Sunni Ittehad Council’s candidate Mahmood Khan Achakzai are vying for the office of President.

Their nomination papers were filed on Saturday for the presidential elections to be held on the 9th of this month. The nomination papers of Asif Ali Zardari were filed by Senator Farooq Hamid Naek and Senator Salim Mandviwala with the presiding officer Islamabad High Court Chief Justice Aamer Farooq. Meanwhile the nomination papers of Mahmood Khan Achakzai were filed by Umar Ayub Khan, Sardar Muhammad Latif Khan Khosa and others.

The scrutiny of the nomination papers will be held on Monday.

The president is elected by an electoral college comprising members of the Senate, National Assembly and the four provincial assemblies. Voting is held through a secret ballot.

It is worth mentioning here that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Friday issued schedule and notice for the Presidential election, which will be held on 9th of this month. The schedule has been issued by the order of the Chief Election Commissioner of Pakistan.

“In pursuance of the provisions contained in paragraphs 1 and 3 of the Second Schedule of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, 1973 read with clauses (3) and (4) of Article 41 of the Constitution, Public Notification for election to the office of the President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is hereby issued and in relation thereto the following programme for receipt of nomination papers, scrutiny of nomination papers, withdrawal of candidature, publication of list of validly nominated candidates, retirement and the polling day,” read the notification issued by ECP on Friday.

According to the ECP, the candidates for the country’s top constitutional office can submit nomination papers by March 2 before 12:00 PM with the presiding officers in Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar and Quetta.

The scrutiny for the nomination papers by the returning officers will be held on March 4, the notification said, adding that the candidature can be withdrawn the next day.

Afterwards, the commission will publish the list of validly nominated candidates the same day and March 6 has been fixed as the date for retirement.

The polling for the next president will be held on March 9 at the National Assembly and all the provincial assemblies from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM.