ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) - The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Monday approved the nomination papers of Asif Ali Zardari and Mahmood Khan Achakzai for the upcoming presidential election 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 (PkMAP) 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 was taken place on Monday, March 4. The final list of eligible candidates will be released today (Tuesday). The candidates have the right to withdraw from the contest until March 6.
The voting is set to be held from 10am to 4pm 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 called a joint session of 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.