Ex-Pak PM Imran Khan’s allies nominate Mahmood Khan Achakzai as presidential candidate
Pashtun-khwa Milli Awami Party (PKMAP) chief Mahmood Khan Achakzai
Ex-Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan has reportedly backed Pashtun-khwa Milli Awami Party (PKMAP) chief Mahmood Khan Achakzai as the opposition’s presidential candidate against Asif Ali Zardari, the joint candidate of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan Peoples Party's (PPP).
Both PML-N and PPP have agreed to form a coalition government in the centre. The decision to nominate 75-year-old Achakzai as presidential candidate was taken by the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC), backed by Khan.
Achakzai emerged victorious from the NA-266 constituency in Balochistan's Kila Abdullah-cum-Chaman in the recently held general elections, marred with irregularities and allegations of rigging by the opposition parties.
It must be noted that all Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-backed candidates, who were barred from using the electoral symbol 'bat' and contesting under the PTI banner on February 8, have now joined SIC.
On Saturday (Mar 2), nomination papers for both candidates were filed before Islamabad High Court (IHC)Chief Justice Aamer Farooq - the presiding officer for the presidential polls. Farooq H. Naik and Saleem Mandviwala filed Zardari's papers while PTI leaders Sardar Latif Khosa and Omar Ayub Khan filed the papers for Achakzai before Chief Justice Aamer Farooq.
Imran Khan’s appeal
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According to local media reports, Imran Khan, who remains locked up in Rawalpindi's Adiala jail, has urged PTI’s lawmakers to support Achakzai in the upcoming presidential elections, slated to take place on March 9. A notification regarding the same was issued by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Friday (Mar 1).
Under Pakistani law, the president is elected by members of the National Assembly, Senate and four provincial assemblies.
Generally, Chief Justices of the High Courts act as the presiding officers for presidential elections. Justice Amer Farooq has assumed the role of presiding officer for the upcoming election.
Earlier this week, a meeting took place between a PTI delegation, led by party leader Asad Qaiser and Achakzai and Balochistan National Party (Mengal) chief Akhtar Mengal. The two sides had met to formulate a strategy to voice their resentment against ‘rigging’ in the general elections.
About Asif Ali Zardari
Asif Ali Zardari was unanimously declared the joint candidate by PML-N and PPP after they announced their coalition as none of them managed to reach the majority mark on their own.
Watch:Pakistan: PML-N nominated Ayaz Sadiq elected as speaker of lower house
In September last year, Alvi became the fourth democratically elected president to complete a five-year term in Pakistan. However, his term extended in the absence of the Electoral College required to elect the president.
Zardari has previously served as president from September 2008 to 2013.
PPP's Sarfraz Bugti elected Balochistan Chief Minister
Meanwhile, the PPPcandidate Sarfaraz Bugti was elected unopposed as the new chief minister of the restive Balochistan province on Saturday. Bugti had stepped down as the caretaker federal interior minister in the interim government to contest the provincial assembly elections on a PPP ticket in the February 8 general elections.
(With inputs from agencies)