Backed by PML-N, PPP, MQM-P Shehbaz Sharif likely to win election with thumping majority against SIC’s Omar Ayub Khan n JUI-F will boycott election n NA Speaker approves nomination papers of Shehbaz Sharif, Omar Ayub Khan.

ISLAMABAD   -  The election of Prime Minister will be held in today’s session of the National Assembly. The nomination papers of Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif and Omar Ayub Khan, for this election were approved on Saturday. Speaker National Assembly approved the nomination papers after thorough scrutiny of the papers.

Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz President Shehbaz Sharif and Sunni Ittehad Council’s Omar Ayub filed their nomination papers for the office of Prime Minister on Saturday. The Secretary-General of the National Assembly received the nomination papers for the office of Prime Minister/ Leader of the House.

According to officials of the National Assembly Secretariat Directorate General of Media, the nomination papers for MNA Main Muhammad Shahbaz were proposed by MNAs Syed Khursheed Ahmad Shah, Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Tariq Bashir Cheema, Rana Tanvir Hussain, Dr. Tariq Fazal Chaudhary, Sardar Muhammad Yousaf Zaman, Attaullah Tarar, Abdul Aleem Khan and seconded by MNAs Romina Khursheed Alam, Shaza Fatima Khawaja, Sardar Awais Ahmed Khan Laghari, Ahsan Iqbal, Kessoo Mal Kheel Das, Anusha Rahman Khan, Hanif Abbasi, Jamal Shah Kakar.

The nomination papers of Omar Ayub Khan for Prime Minister of Pakistan/Leader of the House were proposed by MNAs Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, Asad Qaiser, Riaz Khan Fatyana, Umair Khan Niazi and seconded by MNAs Mohammad Sanaullah Khan Mastikhel, Ali Khan Jadoon, Mujahid Ali, and Malik Mohammad Amir Dogar. PML-N lead­er and former PM Sheh­baz Sharif, with the sup­port of allies including Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) , Muttahida Qaumi Movement(MQM-P) and other parties, likely to get elected as Prime Min­ister for the second time. Whereas, the SIC’s nomi­nee Omar Ayub has so far support of independent candidate backed by Pa­kistanTehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI). The Pakistan Peo­ples Party (PPP), Mu­tahhida Qaumi Move­ment-Pakistan (MQM-P), Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party and other parties have backed the PML-N candidate Shehbaz Shar­if. A religio-political par­ty (JUI-F), which has eight MNAs, has already announced to boycott the elections of Prime Minis­ter and President. A dele­gation of PML-N’s senior lawmakers attempted to woo JUI-F chief Maula­na Fazlur Rahman but he has so far not changed his decision. Political pundits viewed that She­hbaz Sharif will comfort­ably become the next prime minister of the country by securing over 190 votes in the house. Omar Ayub is likely to secure 92 votes. Follow­ing the prime minister’s election, the newly-elect­ed lawmakers will also elect a new head of the state on March 9, mark­ing an end to the tenure of PTI-backed President Arif Alvi. Earlier, PML-N’s Sardar Ayaz Sadiq got elected National Assem­bly Speaker for the third time by securing 199 votes against MNA Amir Dogar who got 91 votes.