EC terms papers of 12,443 candidates as valid

The Election Commission (EC) has termed nomination papers of 12,443 candidates' as valid candidates for January 8 general elections out of a total 13,490 papers it received. A statement by the EC spokesman said that after scrutiny of nomination papers, Returning officers all over the country have declared 12,443 candidates as validly nominated.
Details released by the EC show that 61 nomination papers on two National Assembly constituencies from Islamabad have been declared valid, followed by 1,841 candidates for National Assembly from Punjab and 4,113 for Punjab Provincial Assembly.
The EC has accepted the nomination papers of 940 candidates as valid for National Assembly from Sindh and 2,182 for Sindh Provincial Assembly. A total of 526 nomination papers filed by candidates were declared valid for National Assembly from NWFP and 1,457 for the NWFP Provincial Assembly. The nomination papers of 254 candidates for National Assembly from Balochistan and 899 for Balochistan Provincial Assembly have been declared valid.
A total of three nomination papers were rejected from Islamabad, 113 for national Assembly from Punjab and 353 for Punjab provincial Assembly, 48 for National Assembly from Sindh, and 134 for Sindh Provincial Assembly, 32 papers for National Assembly from NWFP and 92 papers for NWFP Provincial Assembly while 20 nomination papers were rejected for National Assembly from Balochistan and 100 for Balochistan Provincial Assembly. 21 nomination papers for NA rejected from Fata.
The spokesman said that the above information does not include the constituencies relating to district Swat, some of the constituencies of Tribal Areas and Shangla where the last date for filing of nomination papers is 6th December, 2007.
The 86 nomination papers for seats reserved in National Assembly for women were accepted from Punjab, 39 from Sindh, 28 from NWFP and 16 from Balochistan. The EC accepted nomination papers for 163 seats reserved for women in Punjab Provincial Assembly, 86 for Sindh, 69 for NWFP and 35 for Balochistan Assembly.