Candidates receive nomination papers for NA-120

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GEO NEWS
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LAHORE: Thirty-five candidates have received nomination papers for by-election in the NA-120 constituency of the city after the seat was left vacant after the Supreme Court’s Panama Papers verdict disqualifying Nawaz Sharif, sources in the Election Commission of Pakistan (EPC) said.

The candidates belonging to various parties, including the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf received the nomination papers for the by-polls to be held on September 17, added sources.

Submission of the papers will take place between August 10-12. The scrutiny of the papers will be held between August 15 and 17, while the final list of candidates will be issued on August 26, according to the ECP.

The seat was left vacant following Nawaz Sharif’s disqualification from public office. The ECP denotified Nawaz on July 28 as a Member of the National Assembly.

"The Election Commission of Pakistan hereby de-notifies Mohammad Nawaz Sharif as Member of the National Assembly of Pakistan from Constituency No. NA-120 Lahore-III with immediate effect," read the ECP notification.

The Supreme Court had ruled that the prime minister failed to disclose his un-withdrawn receivables constituting assets from UAE-based Capital FZE in his nomination papers for the 2013 elections, saying that this meant he was not 'honest' and 'truthful', as per the Constitution.

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf has fielded Yasmin Rashid, who lost the previous election to Nawaz Sharif in the same constituency, for the by-election.

Kalsoom Nawaz for NA-120?

Sources also claimed on Tuesday that Nawaz Sharif’s wife, Begum Kalsoom Nawaz, has been finalised to be the PML-N candidate for the NA-120 by-poll.

The seat fell vacant when Nawaz was disqualified as a result of the Supreme Court verdict in the Panama Papers case.

During the course of the PML-N's political consultations in Murree last week, sources had claimed that Shehbaz Sharif could be appointed the party president.