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The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Friday issued a public notice and schedule for the presidential election, slated to take place on March 9.
“In pursuance of the provisions contained in paragraphs 1 and 3 of the Second Schedule of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, 1973 read with clauses (3) and (4) of Article 41 of the Constitution, Public Notification for election to the office of the President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is hereby issued and in relation thereto the following program for receipt of nomination papers, scrutiny of nomination papers, withdrawal of candidature, publication of list of validly nominated candidates, retirement and the polling day,” read the notification.
Under the schedule issued alongside the notice, the ECP said candidates for the presidency could submit their nomination papers by March 2 (Saturday) before 12:00 p.m. with presiding officers in Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar and Quetta. It said returning officers would conduct the scrutiny of the nominations on March 4, with any disinterested candidates required to withdraw their candidacies no later than March 5.
The final list of validly nominated candidates would be published on March 5, followed by March 6 as the date for retirement.
Polling for the next president would then be held on March 9 at the National Assembly and all the provincial assemblies from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
While the Sunni Ittehad Council has yet to announce its candidate for the head of state, the anticipated ruling coalition has nominated PPP Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari for the role. If victorious, this would be Zardari’s second stint as the president; earlier, he served in the role from 2008-2013.
It is likely that Zardari would emerge victorious, as the alliance has majorities in Balochistan, Sindh, Punjab and the National Assembly. The SIC, by contrast, only has a majority in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly.