ISLAMABAD, FEB 17 (DNA) – Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has reserved decision on the nomination papers of former Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani for Senate election.

A statement issued by the Returning Officer of the Election Commission of Pakistan, has said that the verdict would be announced tomorrow at 9 am.

Earlier Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader and joint candidate of Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) for Senate elections Yousaf Raza Gillani on Wednesday said that Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) was carrying out scrutiny of his nomination papers.

While talking to media, Yousaf Raza Gillani said that the returning officer directed the lawyer of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Fareed Rehman who had raised objection over his nomination papers to present the arguments till 3:00pm.

He also expressed concerns over extending time to record the arguments and termed it as an unjust behavior. Meanwhile, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) senior leader and former Prime Minister (PM) Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has alleged ECP of making the Senate elections controversial.

The reactions came after PTI had challenged Yousaf Raza Gillani’s nomination papers submitted for Senate elections. PTI leader Fareed Rehman had accused ex-PM of concealing the facts. Yousaf Raza Gillani had not mentioned his sentence in contempt of court case in his nomination papers, he added.

The PTI member further said that Gillani didn’t fulfill the requirement of Article 62 of the Constitution. On the other hand, ECP has started the process of scrutiny of nomination papers submitted by the candidates for the Senate elections.

A total of 170 candidates have filed their nomination papers in the ECP for the elections on 48 seats in the upper house of the Parliament. 29 candidates from Punjab, 39 from Sindh, 51 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), 41 from Balochistan and 10 from the federal capital Islamabad have submitted their details.

The candidates can file appeals against acceptance or rejection of nomination papers on February 20 and the last date for disposing of these appeals is February 23.

The revised list of candidates will be published on February 24. The candidates can withdraw their nomination papers on February 25. Polling on 48 seats will be held on the 3rd of next month at the Parliament house in Islamabad and the four provincial assemblies. = DNA

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