As many as 850 candidates obtained nomination forms and three, including a woman from Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), submitted their papers to returning officers (ROs) at the district court on Monday.
Party workers obtained nomination forms for several candidates including Mujtaba Shujaur Rehman, Ayesha Ahad Malik, Hafiz Salman Butt, Saiful Mulooq Khokhar, Chaudhry Naseer Bhutta, Sohail Zia Butt, Ameerul Azeem and Tariq Shabbir Mayo.
On Sunday, party workers had obtained forms on behalf of former president Pervez Musharaf, Shaikh Rasheed Ahmed, Khawaja Saad Rafique and Khawaja Salman.
As many as 186 nomination forms were obtained for National Assembly seats and 430 for Provincial Assembly seats. As many as 169 forms were obtained for seats reserved for women and 59 for seats reserved for minorities.
MQM candidate Tahira Asif submitted her nomination papers for NA-126. Amir Nazeer Rajput submitted his papers for PP-151 and Abdur Razzaq for PP-146.
The nomination papers can be obtained from ROs till March 29. The papers will be scrutinised from March 30 to April 5. The last date to file appeals against the acceptance or rejection of nomination papers is April 9. The final list of candidates will be published on April 18.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 26th, 2013.