ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The nomination papers of all three Presidential nominees including Dr Arif Alvi, Aitzaz Ahsan and Maulana Fazlur Rehman have been accepted as the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Justice (retd) Sardar Muhammad Raza scrutinized their nomination papers on Wednesday and found them to be in order.
The Presidential election will be held on September 4, 2018.
Talking to media persons outside the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) in Islamabad after his nomination papers were accepted, the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Aitzaz Ahsan said he had more chances to win the Presidential election, adding secret ballot was a vote of conscience.
Aitzaz Ahsan said it was a time for justice, and justice had to be done among Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) candidates as well.
The PPP leader acknowledged that the opposition was in a disadvantageous position because of lack of agreement on a consensus candidate. He said so far there was no consensus among opposition parties on fielding a joint candidate.
However, he hoped Maulana Fazlur Rehman would withdraw his name as the Presidential candidate.
“Voters have to decide as who is appropriate for the slot of the Presidentship,” he added.
The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Ahsan Iqbal also expressed hope that PPP would support them in the Presidential election.
“If opposition fields its candidate unanimously, definitely our candidate will win the presidential election. It is hoped PPP will consider proposal of bring a join candidate,” Ahsan Iqbal said.
Ahsan Iqbal said his party nominated Maulana Fazlur Rehman as the Presidential candidate as he might be acceptable to PPP as well. He said if there was no unity among the opposition, then PTI candidate would get a walk over in the election.
The PTI Presidential candidate Dr Arif Alvi expressed the confidence that he would be elected as the Country’s president with thumping majority. He said the people had given clear mandate to PTI and Imran Khan in the 2018 general elections.
