Reserved seats for women: Nomination papers of 36 candidates accepted

Eight candidates asked to get their degrees verified by April 7.

PESHAWAR: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has accepted nomination papers of 36 candidates for seats reserved for women in the National Assembly, while eight have been asked to get their degrees verified by April 7.

Provincial Election Commissioner Sono Khan Baloch, who is also the returning officer for reserved seats for women and minorities, conducted the scrutiny process and accepted nomination papers of 36 out of the 44 candidates.

An ECP official said previously, 77 candidates from different parties submitted their nomination papers. Of these, 33 were automatically rejected after political parties sent their priority lists.

Former MNA from the Awami National Party (ANP), Bushra Gohar is one of the prominent candidates who have been asked to submit complete documents. Gohar told the ECP she had sent her degree for verification to the Higher Education Commission and it will be verified by the set date.



The ANP has nominated Bushra Gohar, Jamila Gillani, Zubaida Ihsan and Musarrat Shafi. From Pakistan Peoples Party, Asma Alamgir, Shazia Aurangzeb, Nilofar Baber and Faiza Rashid have been chosen. Meanwhile, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz has named Tahira Bukhari, Maimoona Bakhtiar and Shaheen Habibullah. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf has nominated Nafeesa Inayat, Musarrat Ahmed Zeb, Sajida Zulfiqar and Ayesha Gulalai. Jamaat-e-Islami has named Ayesha Saeed, Samia Raheel Qazi and Bilquees Murad. Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl has chosen Shahida Akhtar, Naeema Akhtar, Farhana Binori and Sara Afreen, while Qaumi Watan Party has nominated Anisa Zeb and Ghazala. Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa has eight reserved seats for women in the National Assembly.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 4^th, 2013.