F.P. Report
LAHORE: As many as 12 more candidates filed their nomination papers for the Senate vacant seats in Punjab on the last day for submission of papers, here on Sunday.
According to Election Commission sources here, Umar Cheema, Ijaz Hussain Minhas, Ijaz Ahmad Chaudhry and Ms Neelum Irshad Sheikh of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) filed their nomination papers for general seats, besides Zahid Hamid, Prof Sajid Mir, Baleegh-ur-Rehman, and Irfan-ul-Haq Siddiqui of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N). Moreover, Ata Ullah Khan Niazi of the PTI filed his nomination papers for the technocrat seat whereas Ms Farhat Shehzadi and Neelum Irshad Sheikh of PTI filed nomination papers for women seat, besides Ms Saira Tarar of the PML-N.
With the filing of 12 more nomination papers, the total number of candidates from Punjab had reached 29.
Out of 29 candidates, 21 candidates submitted their nomination papers for general seats while three for technocrats and ulema seats and five for women seats.
The Senate elections will be held on 11 seats from Punjab.
A total of forty-eight senators will be elected including 12 each from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, while eleven each from Punjab and Sindh and two from Islamabad in elections, to be held on March 3 on vacant seats of Senate.
The commission had extended the date for filing nomination papers for Senate election from Feb 13 to 15 to facilitate the candidate. Earlier, Saifullah Niazi, Muhammad Khan Madni, Jamshed Iqbal Cheema, Malik Zaheer Abbas Khokhar and Aon Abbas, Robina Akhtar from PTI and Pervaiz Rashid, Mushahidullah Khan, Saif-ul-Malook Khokhar, Saud Majeed and Afnanullah Khan from Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) have filed their nomination papers for the general seats. Kamil Ali Agha of Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) and Azeemul Haq Minhas of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) have also filed their papers.
PML-N’s Azam Nazeer Tarar and PTI’s Barrister Ali Zafar have filed their nomination papers for two seats reserved for technocrats. Saadia Abbasi of PML-N while Dr. Zarqa Taimur of PTI have applied for seats reserved for women.
