Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz's (PMLN) presidential candidate Mamnoon Hussain at the Islamabad High Court on July 24, 2013. PHOTO: AFP
Hussain is a senior vice president of the PML-N and former governor of Sindh. If elected, Hussain would be the 11th president of Pakistan.
Earlier, the PML-N had shortlisted several names for the position, including Adviser to Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs and National Security Sartaj Aziz and former chief justice of Pakistan Justice (retd) Saeeduzzaman Siddiqui.
Candidates belonging to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) will also submit their nomination papers today.
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has scheduled the presidential election for August 6, while PML-N has called on the apex court to reschedule it to July 30.
COMMENTS (19)
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What a shallow and silly statement to presume that Nawaz Sharif should only give the Presidency to an ethnic community that votes for him.
Only a real statesman rises above such pettiness. I don't care where Mamnoon was born. Jinnah lived most of his life in Mumbai. In choosing someone without regard of his ethnic affiliation, MNS has taken a respectable, wise and bold step.
@Adnan Siddiqi:
This is how a famous indian newspaper has reported the nomination of Mr. mamnoon hussain ,
"Nawaz Sharif's party nominates India-born Mamnoon Hussain for presidential polls"
This is really very irritating nomination and I really do not understand the motive of NS behind him. Did mohajirs ever give votes to nawaz sharif , never ever. It is us punjabis and hazarawals who always vote for him and he should be thankful to us rather than appeasing mohajirs. Eventhough I am punjabi but I have no issue if sindhi Ghaus ali shah or pashtun sartaj aziz is nominated for president post because I personally know many sindhis and pashtuns who hold good opinion about nawaz sharif and pmln but I have never come across a mohajir in my life who would ever have anything good to say about sharif brothers or punjabis in general. So I am justified to think that NS is betraying his voters from punjab when he does not take the sensitivities of punjabis about a certain ethnic group.
Well said!
Let me add that @Gujranwala789's comments hardly represent mainstream Punjabi opinion.
As someone of part Punjabi origin, I am honoured and thrilled to see a non Punjabi President. There is a 5th nation in Pakistan, always ignored. Urdu speakers, you have my respect :-)
@gujranwala789:
As a die hard PML-N supporter who also happens to be a Mohajir lock, stock and barrel; I take great offense to your perception about Mohajirs and your innuendo that Mohajirs harbor insidious motives since they are not thoroughbred Pakistanis.
Since you have established your true bona fides at being the one and only son of the soil by virtue of being a Punjabi, I would like to enlighten you that Mian Sahab's ancestors themselves hail from Jati Umra near Amritsar, India. Hence going by your myopic logic, even Mian Sahab should be barred from holding any public office.
While it’s a completely ceremonial position, it would still have been better if the PML-N had chosen a respected, well-known national statesman or civil society figure instead of an obscure party loyalist. Although Mr. Huassin may be a gentleman, the president of the Federation should still be reasonably well-known and widely respected. It’s only fitting. Although Pratibha Patil in India was an example of a somewhat obscure, safe choice for president in a parliamentary democracy; so such a nomination is not entirely unheard of.
Nawaz sharif is doing agian the same mistake of awarding a mahajir a key post who is not the son of the soil of pakistan and was born in agra india. I really have serious problem about people who are born in india to hold any important office in the government of pakistan. Ghaus ali shah or Sartaj aziz were the right choices but alas NS has done the blunder again.
I have the honour to meet Mr. and Mrs. Mamnoon Hussain in a diplomatic reception held in Karachi when he was Governor of Sindh.
I congratulate Mr. Mamnoon Hussain and his entire family that he would become the next President of Pakistan.
excelent choice of mian nawaz sharif
The Puppet show!
@Babablacksheep: better to have a latest version of Rafiq tarar than versions of ishaq khan, farouque leghari, pervez musharraf and zardari
Aitazaz Ehsan should have been the joint candidate for President
Syed Ghaus Ali Shah in my opnion the best Choice for the president ship......
2013 version of Rafiq Tarar
Have heard great thing about Mr. Hussain - am sure he will serve the country to his best abilities. Best of luck.
(p.s: I am not a PML-N supporter, but credit and support should be given to honest and transparent individuals like Mr. Hussain).
i hope after 14 yrs presidency will regain its respect by being impartial to all pakistanis and become a symbol of federation again. i hope president will inspire all pakistanis with the high stature expected from high post of respect.
Great work! PMLN must include more old and new Sindhis in their party if they want to expand to other regions. Nawaz Sharif. Showing maturity and silencing critics once again.
Excellent nomination! Honorable Mamnoon Hussain is truly a working class individual and a party loyalist to the core.
A pretty good decision. He belongs from a Businessmen community of Karachi and I think PMLN will make up a good team to get Pakistan out of this economic mess with the induction of Mamnun Hussian He can act as a bridge between business community and the government and that will beef up investor confidence in our region as well.
Excellent Choice! Credit goes to Nawaz Sharif.