ISLAMABAD: As many as 358 candidates, including those on the non-Muslim reserved seats, have submitted nomination papers for the National Assembly seats in the federal capital for the upcoming Feb 8 general elections, according to the data released by the district returning officer for Islamabad on Monday.

The data reveals that 209 candidates, including 26 women, have filed nomination papers for the three National Assembly seats from Islamabad – NA-46, NA-47 and NA-48. The remaining candidates have submitted papers for the 10

reserved seats in the National Assembly for minorities. As many as 75 candidates submitted papers for NA-47 constituency, followed by 73 for NA-46 and 61 for NA-48.

There are a number of candidates from one political party in each constituency as the parties have not yet issued tickets to their nominees.

The data shows that 80-year-old former senator and a prominent lawyer Syed Zafar Ali Shah is the oldest candidate from Islamabad and he has submitted papers from NA-46 and NA-47. The youngest candidate, Hashim Khan, who is 25-year of age, has also submitted the papers from NA-47 constituency.

Syed Hassan Zafar, the son of Syed Zafar Ali Shah, has submitted his papers for NA-47 and NA-48 seats.

The capital is expected to witness some interesting contests among prominent political figures and local political heavyweights.

NA-46

Prominent among those who have submitted the papers in NA-46 are Mian Muhammad Aslam of the Jamaat-i-Islami (JI), Anjum Aqeel of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), former law minister in the PPP government Dr Babar Awan, former minister in the PTI government Aamer Mehmood Kiani and Raja Imran Ashraf of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP).

Mr Ashraf is the brother of National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervez Ashraf, who himself is contesting the election for the NA seat from Gujar Khan.

Besides Anjum Aqeel, Syed Zeeshan Ali Naqvi of the PML-N has also submitted his papers from the same constituency.

The list shows that a former top official of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) Syed Mustafain Kazmi and a trans activist Nayab Ali have are also among the candidates in NA-46. Abdullah Babar, the son of Dr Babar Awan has also filed the papers from NA-46.

NA-47

Former PPP senator Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar, PML-N’s Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, ex-PTI MNA Raja Khurram Shahzad Nawaz, Aamer Mehmood Kiani, Syed Sibte Haider Bukhari of the PPP, PTI’s Shoaib Shaheen, ex-mayor of Islamabad Sheikh Anser Aziz, Chaudhry Ilyas Mehrban are among those who have filed papers in NA-47.

Besides them, Dr Babar Awan and his son Abdullah Awan have also filed papers from this constituency. Similarly, Nayab Ali and Mustafain Kazmi are also among the candidates. Waqar Zafar Bakhtawari, the son of the owner of a renowned pharmacy chain Zafar Bakhtawari, also intends to try his luck from the same constituency. The list also contains the name of Chaudhry Riffat Javed, a cousin of Tariq Fazal Chaudhry.

NA-48

The prominent candidates in NA-48 are Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar, Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, Chaudhry Rifffat Javed, Raja Khurram Shahzad Nawaz, Raja Hasnain Khurram, Sheikh Anser Aziz, Shoaib Shaheen and Mustafain Kazmi.

Code of conduct

Meanwhile, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has issued instructions regarding printing of banners for the contestants. All the printing presses in territorial jurisdiction of Islamabad have been directed to strictly comply with the instructions as non-compliance of instructions would lead to legal action against the violators.

According to the ECP’s directives, no person or a political party shall affix or distribute posters, handbills, pamphlets, leaflets, banners or portraits, larger than the sizes prescribed by the commission. The candidates shall ensure that the name and address of the concerned printer/publisher are printed on the face of the posters, handbills, pamphlets, leaflets, banners and portraits.

There shall be complete ban on hoardings, billboards, wall chalking and panaflex of any size. In no case the picture of government official shall be printed on any publicity material by any candidate.

In case of violations, strict legal action shall be taken against the printing presses who shall not comply with the direction above.

Scrutiny of papers

The scrutiny of nomination papers scrutiny started in six NA and 13 provincial assembly seats of Rawalpindi district. The returning officer has reserved decisions which will be announced on December 30. On the first day, the nomination papers of 32 candidates were scrutinised. Prominent among those whose papers were scrutinised on Monday were Raja Tariq Mahboob Kiani, former interior minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed and his nephew Rashid Shafique.

Aamir Yasin from Rawalpidni also contributed to the report

Published in Dawn, December 26th, 2023