Mayoral election in Islamabad: Nine candidates to submit nomination papers today

ISLAMABAD: The nine candidates who have obtained nomination papers for the vacant seat of Mayor Islamabad Metropolitan Corporation (IMC) will submit their nomination papers on Friday (today). The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had issued a public notice for the by-election on the seat vacated by former IMC mayor Sheikh Anser Aziz.

According to the notice issued by the Returning Officer Naeem Ahmed, the candidates were directed to get nomination papers during office hours and submit them by December 11 after which a preliminary list of candidates will be issued. Those, who obtained nomination papers included Raja Shiraz Kiani, Chaudhary Azhar Mehmood, Malik M Rafiq, Khurram Bakhtiar, Malik Sajid, Mehtab Ahmed Khan, Syed Zaheer Ahmed, Chaudhary Riffat Javaid and Faisal Naeem.

On 1 October, mayor Islamabad Sheikh Anser Aziz tendered his resignation; and over nine weeks later the ECP on Wednesday finally kicked off the drive to elect the new mayor. Under the law, the ECP was required to hold election on the vacant seat within 30 days from the date it was notified as vacant. The ECP issued election schedule for mayor Islamabad's election on December 4.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020