The preparations for the upcoming general elections entered the next phase after the deadline for the submission of nomination papers for 7 national and 14 provincial assembly seats in the Rawalpindi district concluded on Sunday.
Today marks a pivotal second phase, wherein all nomination papers will be scrutinised. In Rawalpindi district, 270 candidates are vying for 7 National Assembly seats, while 652 candidates have stepped into the electoral fray for the 14 provincial seats.
Prominent political figures, including former federal and provincial ministers, and lawmakers, converge in a significant face-off. For the first time, each seat has witnessed the participation of at least 8 to 12 lawyers. Women lawyers have also entered the electoral arena vying for general seats. Among the contenders for NA-57 of Rawalpindi City are Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, Barrister Daniyal, Samira Gul, Shehryar Riaz, former District Nazim Tariq Kayani, and Mian Khurram Rasool.
Read First phase of general election concludes today
In NA-56, the electoral battleground awaits Hanif Abbasi, Sajjad Khan, Numbardar Mukhtar Abbas, Chaudhury Imtiaz, and Sheikh Rashid Ahmed. Meanwhile, NA-55 Cantt is set to witness the contest between Malik Abrar, Raja Basharat, Raja Nasir, and Sardar Abdul Razaq. In NA-53, the contenders’ list includes Chaudhary Nisar Ali Khan, Ghulam Sarwar Khan, Engineer Qamar Islam, Chaudhary Kamran, Raja Zaheer, and Colonel Ajmal Saber. In NA-52, Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Advocate Raja Tariq Aziz.
Additionally, in NA-54 Taxila, Ghulam Sarwar Khan, Chaudhary Nisar Ali Khan, and Colonel Ajmal Sabir are in the race. Following the scrutiny, election activities are set to commence.
Despite Sunday being a holiday, all returning officers, assistant returning officers, and staff arrived at their offices in the morning. Until noon, no papers had been submitted by candidates. However, after 12pm on the final day, 14 candidates submitted their papers.
Major candidates had already submitted their papers before the deadline extension.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 26th, 2023.
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