F.P. Report
ISLAMABAD: The presidential election in Pakistan is scheduled for March 9 when Asif Ali Zardari, the co-chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), and Mahmood Khan Achakzai, the chairman of the Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP), will vie for the prestigious office.
National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq has called for a joint session of Parliament on March 9. The National Assembly secretary has issued a notification of the joint session.
The scrutiny of nomination papers for candidates vying for the role of president was held on Monday. The final list of eligible candidates will be released on March 5 (Tuesday).
Asif Ali Zardari’s nomination papers have been approved after scrutiny, making him eligible to contest for the coveted presidential seat. However, Mahmood Khan Achakzai’s nomination papers have not been approved yet, as reservations have been raised against them.
Asif Ali Zardari has also called Khalid Maqbool Siddique, president of Muttahid Muttahida Quami Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), for the support in presidential election. However, the MQM-P will decide about the matter after consultations. The voting for the presidential position will be conducted simultaneously in the Senate, National Assembly, and four provincial assemblies. The voting will take place from 10am to 4pm on March 9.
PPP co-chairman and nominee for president, Asif Ali Zardari ‘sought’ Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan’s (MQM-P) support for the presidential election.
According to the ECP schedule, polling for the presidential election will be held on March 9 from 10 am to 4 pm. The nomination papers’ scrutiny is being held on March 4, whereas the final list of candidates for the presidential elections will be displayed on March 5 at 1:00 pm. Sources privy to the development said, Asif Ali Zardari telephoned MQM-P’s Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, a day earlier, to seek his party’s vote in the presidential election. Siddiqui said he will respond after consultation with the party, the sources said.
Meanwhile, it is also being said PPP delegation will meet MQM-P soon to seek support. Separately, Asif Ali Zardari’s nomination papers for the presidential elections were approved as no objection was raised over his nomination. “We have required numbers to win the election, Asif Zardari will be elected the president again,” Farooq H. Naik said. Earlier, the lawyers of Asif Ali Zardari and Sunni Ittehad Council’s presidential candidate Mehmood Khan Achakzai reached the election commission for scrutiny of presidential nomination papers.
Meanwhile, the Awami National Party (ANP) has announced its support for PPP Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari in the upcoming presidential election scheduled for March 9. This announcement was made during a meeting between former president Asif Zardari and Aimal Wali Khan, the president of ANP’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chapter, who led a delegation to meet the former. Details reveal that during the meeting, Zardari and Aimal Wali exchanged views on the current political situation. Zardari expressed gratitude to the ANP leadership for their support in the presidential election.
