ISLAMABAD - Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) chief Bilawal Bhutto Zardari is hoping to revive the party in Punjab after filing nomination papers in Lahore. Winning in Lahore will be a huge bonus for the PPP as it could mobilise the party workers. The PPP has for years not performed well in Punjab and will dearly need a boost in the influential province. Bilawal and his father Asif Ali Zardari have been holding meetings to improve the party’s position.
Candidates vying for the upcoming February 8 general elections in Pakistan rushed to submit their nomination papers, as the deadline for filing their candidatures expired yesterday. Commencing on December 20, the nomination process, initially slated for completion on December 22, was extended by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for two days due to demands from various political parties.
The elections will determine the fate of the National Assembly’s 266 general and 70 reserved seats, along with over 600 seats across four provincial assemblies. Prominent politicians, including Asif Ali Zardari, Yusuf Raza Gilani, Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, and Shehbaz Sharif, have already filed their documents. Imran Khan’s eligibility, however, faces challenges due to his conviction in the Toshakhana corruption case. Earlier, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) rejected the intra-party elections of Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI), withholding the use of the bat as their symbol. The party plans to challenge this decision in the Supreme Court.
Following the nomination deadline, the ECP will conduct scrutiny through December 30. Appeals against acceptance or rejection of papers can be submitted until January 3, with decisions expected by January 10. The updated list of candidates will be released on January 11, and withdrawals are allowed until January 12. Electoral symbols will be allocated on January 13. Foreign observers can apply to monitor elections from December 31 to January 20. As of now, the ECP has received responses from 103 representatives of foreign media living in Pakistan. Over 200,000 accreditation cards have been printed, and District Monitoring Officers and teams are appointed to oversee compliance with the code of conduct.
