Joint sitting of parliament on 9th to pick new president

ISLAMABAD: National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq Sunday summoned the joint session of parliament on March 9 for the election of president. Members of both the houses of parliament — Senate and National Assembly — will cast their votes.

The papers of Asif Ali Zardari as joint candidate of PPP and PMLN and Mehmood Khan Achakzai, on behalf of the Sunni Ittehad Council, were submitted on Friday.

Two nomination papers of Zardari were submitted from Islamabad and Karachi.

Senator Farooq Naek submitted the nomination papers of Asif Ali Zardari to the Islamabad High Court in which PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari was the proposer, while Senator Farooq H Naek seconded the nomination papers.

Islamabad High Court (IHC) Chief Justice Amir Farooq received the nomination papers of Asif Ali Zardari.

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, along with MPAs Faryal Talpur, Syed Qaim Ali Shah, Syed Nasir Hussain Shah, Sharjeel Inam Memon and others, submitted Zardari’s nomination papers to the Sindh High Court.

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

Meanwhile, the scrutiny of nomination papers of the candidates for presidential election will be conducted today (Monday).

According to the schedule issued by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), the candidates will have the option to withdraw their nominations before the Returning Officer (RO) on March 5 up to 12:00 noon, whereas the list of validly nominated candidates will be published the same day at 1 pm.

March 6 has been fixed for retirement of candidates, if any. Polling will be conducted on March 9 from 8am to 4pm at the Parliament House, Punjab Assembly building, provincial assembly building, Lahore, Sindh Assembly building, Karachi and provincial assembly building, Quetta, to elect the 14th head of the state.

Former president Asif Ali Zardari, who is the joint candidate of the ruling coalition consisting of mainly PPP and PMLN, is being seen as the potential candidate for the presidential slot. Similarly, Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party chief Mahmood Khan Achakzai has been fielded by the Sunni Ittehad Council.

Their nomination papers were submitted to the Islamabad High Court.

Asghar Ali Mubarak, Abdul Qadoos and Waheed Ahmed Kamal have also submitted nomination papers for the presidential slot as independent candidates.

The Article 41 of the Constitution pertains to the office of the President: The President; (1) There shall be a President of Pakistan who shall be the Head of State and shall represent the unity of the Republic. (2) A person shall not be qualified for election as President unless he is a Muslim of not less than forty-five years of age and is qualified to be elected as member of the National Assembly.

(3) The President to be elected after the expiration of the term specified in clause (7) shall be elected in accordance with the provisions of the Second Schedule by the members of an electoral college consisting of:

(a) the members of both Houses; and (b) the members of the provincial assemblies. (4) Election to the office of President shall be held not earlier than sixty days and not later than thirty days before the expiration of the term of the President in office; Provided that, if the election cannot be held within the period aforesaid because the National Assembly is dissolved, it shall be held within thirty days of the general election to the Assembly. (5) An election to fill a vacancy in the office of President shall be held not later than thirty days from the occurrence of the vacancy: Provided that, if the election cannot be held within the period aforesaid because the National Assembly is dissolved, it shall be held within thirty days of the general election to the Assembly. (6) The validity of the election of the President shall not be called in question by or before any court or other authority.

Meanwhile, former prime minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani has decided to contest the Senate seat from Islamabad, as he is being speculated to be the joint candidate of PPP and PMLN for the post of chairman Senate.

His nomination papers have been submitted to the returning officer Zafar Iqbal Hussain, for the Federal Capital’s general seat. From the Sunni Ittehad Council, Ch. Ilyas Meharban filed his nomination papers.