ISLAMABAD - The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Monday approved the nomination papers of Asif Ali Zardari and Mahmood Khan Achakzai, for the upcoming presidential elections set to take place on March 9.
Former president Asif Ali Zardari, nominated by allied parties, is running for the presidency slot for the second time. He will compete against Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PMAP) chief Mehmood Khan Achakzai, supported by lawmakers from the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC).
Both the leaders filed their papers over the weekend. The scrutiny of the nomination papers has taken place today, March 4. The final list of eligible candidates will be released on March 5. The candidates will have the rights to withdraw from the contest until March 6. The voting is set to launch from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm on March 9 at Parliament House in Islamabad, as well as the provincial assembly buildings in Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar, and Quetta. On Sunday, the newly-elected National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq has called for a joint session of the Parliament on March 9, to elect Pakistan’s next president. The speaker summoned the joint session in accordance with the authority granted by clause (b) of Rule 9 of the Presidential Election Rules, 1988, as stated in a notification issued by the national assembly secretariat. The ECP recently designated five presiding officers to oversee the presidential elections in Islamabad and the four provincial capitals.