Shaukat Tarin files nomination papers eyeing Senate seat

• Government seeks to reappoint Tarin as finance minister.
• Polling is set to take place on December 20.
• Three other candidates from PPP, JUIF, ANP also file papers.

PESHAWAR: Advisor to the Prime Minister on Finance and Revenue Shaukat Tarin has filed his nomination papers for a vacant Senate seat of Khyber Pakthunkhwa in line with the government's bid to reappoint him as the finance minister.

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) said Thursday Tarin’s nomination papers were filed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Finance Taimur Saleem Jhagra and KP Minister for Higher Education and Information Kamran Khan Bangash at the election commission's Peshawar office.

Tarin was appointed as the finance minister in April during a cabinet reshuffle, however, his stint had ended in October, and the government changed his portfolio to an advisor on finance, as a non-elected person can remain a federal minister for six months.

Following the expiry of the six-month period, the said person needs to get elected in either the Senate or the National Assembly to continue working as a federal minister.

Last month, PTI’s Ayub Afridi had resigned from the Senate to make way for Tarin. As per the rules, when a seat falls vacant, the Election Commission of Pakistan is bound to hold elections on it within 30 days.

PPP candidate Muhammad Saeed, ANP's Dr Shaukat Jamal Amirzada, and JUI-F's Zahir Shah have also filed their nomination papers at the ECP's Peshawar office, the ECP said.

The ECP will issue the candidates list on December 3, scrutinisation will conclude by Dec 6, while the appeals regarding the nomination papers can be submitted till Dec 8, the body said.

On Dec 11, the ECP will issue the scrutinised list of candidates and the contestants can withdraw their nomination till December 13, the constitutional body said. The polling will take place on Dec 20.