Islamabad (Web Desk/Agencies): Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has formed a four-member committee for persuading different political parties to vote for the party’s presidential candidate, Asif Ali Zardari.
According to the notification issued by the Chairman’s Secretariat by his Political Secretary Jameel Soomro, the committee comprises senior leaders including Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani, Raja Parvez Sharaf, Syed Khursheed Shah and Syed Naveed Qamar.
It is pertinent to mention that earlier during the last week, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the PPP had announced Asif Ali Zardari as a joint candidate for the presidential elections.
Addressing a joint press conference at Zardari House in Islamabad, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif will once again be the country’s prime minister.
Bilawal said that the PML-N would support PPP’s candidate Asif Ali Zardari for the president’s slot.
“Asif Zardari would be our joint candidate for president,” the PPP chief said, adding that they all want to work according to the hopes of the people.
Meanwhile, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday began issuing nomination papers to candidates for the presidential election.
According to an ECP spokesperson, the candidates can submit their nomination papers at the Election Commission Secretariat in Islamabad, as well as the offices of provincial election commissioners in Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) till 12pm on March 2.
The spokesperson said that the schedule and public notice for the presidential elections would be issued on March 1.
For any details, individuals could contact the ECP at telephone number 051-9219335, she added.
Quoting Article 41 (4) of the Constitution, the spokesperson emphasized that the presidential election must be conducted within 30 days of the general elections.
She added that according to Articles 91 and 130 of the Constitution, the first session of all assemblies was mandatory within 21 days of the general elections.
“By February 29, all assemblies will begin working to complete the electoral colleges needed for the presidential election,” the spokesperson stated.