PTI-backed SIC names Achakzai as presidential candidate against Zardari

ISLAMABAD: The process of presidential election scheduled to be held on March 9 started on Saturday with the submission of nomination papers of presidential candidates.

Two political heavyweights - Asif Ali Zardari as a joint candidate of PPP and PMLN and PKMAP chief Mahmood Achakzai as a candidate of the Sunni Ittehad Council - submitted their nomination papers. The nomination papers were submitted to the Islamabad High Court.

Two nomination papers of Zardari were submitted, one in Islamabad and the second in Karachi. In Islamabad, Senator Farooq H Naek submitted the nomination papers to the Islamabad High Court, with PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari as proposer and Senator Farooq H Naek as seconder. Chief Justice Amir Farooq received the nomination papers.

While in Karachi, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, along with MPAs Faryal Talpur, Syed Qaim Ali Shah, Nasir Hussain Shah, Sharjeel Inaam Memon and others, submitted the nomination papers of Zardari to Sindh High Court Chief Justice Aqeel Abbassi, who is the presiding officer for the presidential election. Murad proposed while Nasir seconded the nomination papers.

Mehmood Khan Achakzai’s nomination papers were submitted by the Sunni Ittehad Council legislator Latif Khosa to the Islamabad High Court, along with SIC legislators Omar Ayub Khan, Ali Muhammad Khan and others.

Three citizens, Asghar Ali Mubarak, Abdul Qadoos and Waheed Ahmed Kamal, also submitted nomination papers for the slot of president as independent candidates. The scrutiny of the nomination papers will be held on Monday.

The president is elected by an electoral college comprising members of the Senate, the National Assembly and the four provincial assemblies and voting is held through a secret ballot. Meanwhile, the Awami National Party, in a meeting with Asif Ali Zardari, announced support for him in the presidential election. A delegation led by ANP Khyber Pakhtunkhwa President Aimal Wali Khan called on former president and Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians President Asif Ali Zardari at the Zardari House on Saturday.

According to a PPP announcement after the meeting, the ANP announced support for Zardari in the presidential election. Zardari expressed gratitude to the ANP leadership for its support.