ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s Dr Arif Alvi, Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) Aitzaz Ahsan and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rahman, who has been fielded by the grand alliance of opposition parties, submitted their nomination papers for the presidential election on Monday.
Earlier, opposition parties except PPP decided to field the JUI-F chief for the post of the country’s president as the deadlock persisted over the nomination of Ahsan for the post.
The three presidential candidates submitted their nomination papers in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) as the deadline ended at noon.
PTI’s presidential candidate also submitted his nomination papers in the Sindh High Court (SHC).
In the IHC, the PTI submitted four forms for those who proposed and seconded Alvi. Shibli Faraz, Sadaqat Abbasi, Farrukh Habib and Anwar-ul-Haq are among those who proposed and seconded the PTI candidate for president. Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly Qasim Khan Suri, Maleeka Bukhari and Amir Dogar’s forms were also filed.
Dr Khurram Sher Zaman and other PTI leaders submitted Alvi’s nomination papers in the SHC.
Senior PPP leaders, including Sherry Rehman, Naveed Qamar, Qamar Zaman Kaira and Khursheed Shah, accompanied Ahsan to the IHC to submit his papers for the presidency.
Ahsan has been proposed by Shah and seconded by Rehman.
Meanwhile, Maulana Fazl, who has been fielded by the PML-N, Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA), Awami National Party, Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party and National Party, submitted his nomination papers in the IHC through his counsel. PML-N leader Ameer Muqam is Fazl’s covering candidate.
The grand alliance of opposition parties met in Murree on Saturday to reach a consensus on a joint candidate for president. However, PPP rejected Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s objections over Ahsan and decided to stick to its choice of candidate for the post.
Further, a meeting of leaders of both parties, held in the Parliament lodges late Sunday evening, remained inconclusive.
The chief election commissioner will conduct scrutiny of the nomination papers in Islamabad on Wednesday at 10am.
Candidates will have until Thursday, August 30 to withdraw their nomination papers, after which the final list will be made public on the same day.
Polling for the presidential election will be held on September 4.
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.
Talking to the media after submitting his nomination papers in the IHC, the PPP presidential candidate said that if the opposition remained divided and fielded two candidates for the post of the country’s president then the ruling PTI would benefit.
“PPP consulted other opposition parties before fielding my name for the post,” Ahsan said.
“I was not present for the party meeting in which it was decided to field my name for presidential candidate,” he added.
Responding to PML-N leader Pervaiz Rashid’s reservations over fielding Ahsan, the PPP leader said, “PML-N leaders clarified that this is Rashid’s personal opinion and not party policy.”
“I respect Rashid but felt his demand was unnecessary,” he added.
Earlier on Friday, the PML-N leader had said the party would only consider supporting Ahsan in the presidential election if he visited Adiala jail and apologised to incarcerated former premier Nawaz Sharif. – NNI