LAHORE – The Election Commission of Pakistan Thursday accepted nomination papers of Begum Kulsoom Nawaz, the wife of former minister Nawaz Sharif, for NA-120 by-election – a seat that fell vacant after the ex-PM’s disqualification by the Supreme Court over ‘dishonesty’ and ‘corruption’.
Rejecting all the objections raised by the Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) and the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), NA-120 Returning Officer (RO) Mohammad Shahid accepted Kulsoom’s nomination papers despite her disappearance for the scrutiny of her nomination papers.
The former first lady and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz candidate left for London earlier in the day via flight PK-757.
She will return to Pakistan on September 23, image of her ticket shows.
Kulsoom Nawaz will face Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s Yasmin Rashid in the by-election whose nomination papers were also approved by the returning officer on Thursday.
The by-elections in NA-120, the seat fell vacant after Nawaz Sharif was disqualified by Supreme Court in Panama Papers case on July 28, will be held on September 17.
Thursday was the last day for scrutiny of nomination papers.
Kulsoom Nawaz’s nomination papers were challenged by Awami Tehreek’s Ishtiaq Chaudhry, who filed the objections with the returning officer claiming that though Kulsoom disclosed her Iqama [foreign work contract] in the nomination papers, she failed to disclose the salary received through the contract.
Pakistan People’s Party candidate Faisal Mir had also challenged her nomination.
