PML-N candidate Shehbaz Sharif is in a comfortable position to be elected prime minister once again
- The SIC submitted Ayub's nomination papers to the NA secretary.
- Seven MNAs are proponents and seven others support Shehbaz.
- Several MNAs turned up to present papers of the PML-N leader.
ISLAMABAD: The nomination papers of Shehbaz Sharif and Omar Ayub have been approved for the elections of prime minister or leader of the National Assembly house, scheduled for Sunday at 11 am.
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) on Saturday submitted the nomination papers of Shehbaz and Ayub respectively.
The Mutahhida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), the Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party and the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) have endorsed the PML-N candidate, ensuring that he will be easily elected to the post of prime minister once once again. Ayub, on the other hand, doesn't have the numbers.
PML-N leaders Ishaq Dar, Hanif Abbasi and PPP leader Khursheed Shah submitted the papers on behalf of Shehbaz. Seven MPs are proponents and another seven support the former prime minister'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 NA members also reached the secretary's office with them welcome.
On the other hand, the SIC has also submitted the nomination papers of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Ayub to the lower house secretary.
On February 29, the National Assembly Secretariat published the election schedule for the post of prime minister, according to which the elections will take place on March 3 (tomorrow).
The time for submission of nomination papers ended at 2:00 pm on Saturday (today), while the time for scrutiny of nomination papers ended at 3:00 pm.
The two main parties (PPP and PML-N) got their president and vice president easily elected in Friday's session, with the SIC and PTI-backed candidates suffering defeat.
Following the election of the prime minister, the newly elected lawmakers will also elect a new head of state on March 9, marking the end of PTI-backed President Arif Alvi's term.
However, PML-N leader and PPP's estranged ally Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) Maulana Fazlur Rehman, whose party has eight seats in the National Assembly, raised reservations about the polls and He said they would not vote for the president and prime minister.
Although the PML-N had on Friday expressed hope of making a breakthrough after the party's top brass met JUI-F leaders, no positive news has emerged yet.
