In a surprise move, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) extended the deadline for the submission of nomination forms, allowing prospective candidates contesting upcoming general elections scheduled to be held on May 11 to file poll papers till midnight. Earlier candidates' had until 4pm on Sunday to file their nomination forms.
On Sunday, prospective candidates of various political parties, including Jamaat-i-Islami (JI), Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Jamiat Ulma-e-Pakistan (JUP), Jamiat Ulma-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) and independents submitted their nomination papers on various seats of National Assembly and Provincial Assembly seats in Karachi.
Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP): Rashid Rabbani filed nominations from NA-256, Jawaid Nagori from PS-108, Najmi Aalam from PS-112. PML-N: Saleem Zia filed nominations from PS-113 and Rahim Yousuf Zai Ps-89 and Sultan Bahadur Khan Ps-109.
Jamat-e-Islami (JI): Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman from PS-103, 104 and NA-245, Khalifa Anwar Ahmed PS-102 and 103, Ishaque Khan NA-239, Syed Mohammad Iqbal PS-100, Fazalur Rehman Niazi Ps-108, Zahoor Ahmed Jadoon PS-114, Amin Baloch PS-109 and Rashid Naseem NA-246. MQM: Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqi NA-250 and PS-112 Qamar Mansoor NA-254. According to MQM sources, Gul Faraz Khan Khattak, a member of MQM's Co-ordination Committee, also filed his nomination papers from Kohat (NA-14).
JUP: Shabir Abu Talib filed nomination papers from PS-112, PS-110 and Tajuddin Siddiqi PS-108. Hafiz Taj Mohammad of JUI-F filed nomination papers from PS-107. Tariq Maehboob of Sunni Ittehad Council NA-244.
Independents: Mehboob Singer PS-108, Usman Sharif Surteya NA-250 and PS-112, Maulana Abdul Majeed Sarbazi PS-114 and Faiz Ahmed Faiz PS-114.
The ECP has asked different organisations to provide lists of defaulters. The ECP would carry out the scrutiny of nomination papers from April 1-7.
The ECP has set April 10 as the deadline for filing of appeals against decisions of returning officers. The Election Tribunals will decide on these appeals by April 17. The candidates will be allowed to withdraw their nominations by April 18. According to the schedule, the ECP will publish the final revised list of candidates on April 19.