Staff Report
ISLAMABAD: The scrutiny of the candidature papers filed for the election of new Prime Minister is underway and will continue till 4pm today (Thursday).

Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and its coalition partners have fielded three candidates for the elections. Makhdoom Shahabuddin, his cover candidate Raja Pervaiz Ashraf and Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Qamar-uz-Zaman Kaira submitted their candidatures at National Assembly’s secretariat in accompaniment of hosts of parliamentarians.

Replying to query about his arrest warrant as he was talking to media after filing his nomination papers, Shahab slighted the matter by citing a piece of Urdu poetry—“ye to chalti hay tujhay ooncha ooranay kay liey”.

However, sources said the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) decided to field third candidate for the top slot of premiership after a local court of Rawalpindi issued unbailable warrant of Makhdoom Shahabuddin in ephedrine case.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) pushed forward Sardar Mehtab Khan Abbasi as a candidate for the premiership. He also filed his papers.

Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman also submitted his papers. Talking to media, he said he offered to the PML-N for a consensus candidate, adding he landed into the arena to protect the democracy.

The final list of candidates will be issued after the inspection of nomination papers. Later on, the National Assembly will pick up Leader of the House tomorrow at 5:30pm. SAMAA

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