LAHORE, Aug 17 (TNS): Returning Officer for NA-120 by-elections will finalize scrutiny of nominations papers of candidates including PML-N’s nominee Begum Kulsoon Nawaz.
Today the Returning Officer will scrutinize the nomination papers including that of Kulsoom Nawaz and PTI candidate Dr Yasmeen Rashid. PPP’s candidate Faisal Mir’s papers will be scrutinized today at 1:00 pm.
Kulsoom Nawaz’s nomination papers were challenged by Awami Tehreek’s Ishtiaq Chaudhry, who filed the objections with the returning officer claiming that though Kulsoom disclosed her Iqama [foreign work contract] in the nomination papers, she failed to disclose the salary received through the contract.
Kulsoom also failed to show her position as deputy chairperson in the Iqama, according to Chaudhry.
NA-120 Returning Officer (RO) Mohammad Shahid accepted the objections for scrutiny and will scrutinize the papers today.
The nomination papers were submitted to the RO from August 10-12.
The seat fell vacant following the disqualification of Nawaz Sharif as the prime minister by the Supreme Court on July 28. In the 2013 General Elections, Nawaz had won the seat by a substantial margin, defeating Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s Yasmin Rashid – who will be contesting for the seat this time around too.
ECP will complete the scrutiny process on August 17 (Today).
The last date for filing of appeals against decisions of the returning officer rejecting or accepting the nomination papers will be August 21.
The last date for deciding of appeals by the Appellate Tribunal will be August 24, while the last date for withdrawal of candidature will be August 25.
The publication of the revised list of candidates will be on August 26, while the polling will be held on September 17.
The commission has established a central monitoring cell at ECP Secretariat Islamabad to monitor the by elections in NA-120, Lahore-III and PP-4, Gujar Khan.
The commission has also constituted monitoring teams to fully monitor the code of conduct and other directives of ECP for by elections.
These teams having 27 officials will continue reporting to ECP Secretariat and take legal action on time.
The cell could be approached on telephone number 051-9217108 for any complaint.
