Shehbaz Sharif vs Omar Ayub: Nomination papers of PM's candidates accepted

• SIC submitted Ayub’s nomination papers to NA secretary.
• Seven MNAs are proposers, seven others seconders for Shehbaz.
• Several MNAs turned up to submit papers of PML-N leader.

ISLAMABAD: The nomination papers of Shehbaz Sharif and Omar Ayub for the elections of the prime minister or leader of the house in the National Assembly — slated for Sunday at 11am — have been approved.

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) on Saturday submitted nomination papers for Shehbaz and Ayub, respectively.

The Mutahhida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party, and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) have all backed the PML-N's candidate, ensuring that he will be smoothly elected for the prime minister's slot once again. Ayub, on the other hand, does not have the numbers. 

PML-N leaders Ishaq Dar, Hanif Abbasi, and PPP leader Khursheed Shah submitted the documents on behalf of Shehbaz. Seven MNAs are proposers and seven others are seconders for the former PM's nomination papers.

Attaullah Tarar, Anusha Rehman, Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, Romina Khursheed Alam, Kheeal Das Kohistani, Ahsan Iqbal, Sardar Yousuf, Khawaja Asif, Awais Laghari, Awn Chaudry and many other MNAs also reached the NA secretary office with them.

On the other hand, the SIC has also submitted Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Ayub’s nomination papers to the secretary of the lower house. 

On February 29, the National Assembly Secretariat issued the schedule of the election for prime minister's office according to which the election will take place on March 3 (tomorrow).

The time for submission of nomination papers ended at 2pm on Saturday (today) while the time for scrutiny of the nomination papers ended at 3pm.

Later in the day, Ayub filed an application with NA Speaker Ayaz Sadiq, raising objections over the acceptance of Shehbaz’s nomination papers.

“Shehbaz was ‘gifted’ the seat as a result of manipulation in Form 47. As per Form 45, Shehbaz had lost,” the PTI-backed candidate for the PM’s slot said in his application.

He said that Shehbaz was ineligible to become the prime minister.

Both major parties — PPP and PML-N — got their speaker and deputy speaker elected with ease in Friday's session, with the SIC and PTI-backed candidates suffering defeat.

Following the prime minister's election, the newly-elected lawmakers will also elect a new head of the state on March 9, marking an end to the tenure of PTI-backed President Arif Alvi.

However, PML-N and PPP's estranged ally Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, whose party has eight seats in the National Assembly, raised reservations over the polls and said that they would not vote for the president and prime minister.

Although the PML-N had Friday expressed hope for a breakthrough after the party’s top brass met the JUI-F leadership, no positive news has come out yet.