The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Thursday issued the final list of candidates for the presidential election, scheduled for September 4.
As per the final list, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s Dr Arif Alvi, Pakistan People’s Party’s Aitzaz Ahsan and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rahman are in the run for the presidential election.
A day earlier, the ECP accepted nomination papers of four candidates out of the 12 that had submitted them.
However, Fazl’s covering candidate Amir Muqam withdrew from the run on Thursday, the last date for candidates vying for the office of the country’s president to withdraw their candidature..
The opposition parties have two candidates contesting for the post as a consensus could not be reached on a joint presidential candidate.
The PPP decided that it would not withdraw its presidential candidate Ahsan.
Meanwhile, the other opposition parties had fielded the JUI-F chief as their presidential candidate.
Polling for the presidential election will be held on September 4.
The president is elected by an electoral college comprising members of the Senate, National Assembly, and the four provincial assemblies. Voting is held through a secret ballot.
Published in Daily Times, August 31st 2018.
