25 Candidates Jump Into Scheduled Nov. 24 AJK Legislative Assembly Bye- Election Arena In Mirpur LA-3

A total of 25 candidates filed their nomination papers with the returning officer by the stipulated last day on Monday here for the scheduled November 24 bye-election to the only vacant seat of the AJK Legislative Assembly from Mirpur City III (LA-3) constituency

MIRPUR (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 21st Oct, 2019 ) : A total of 25 candidates filed their nomination papers with the returning officer by the stipulated last day on Monday here for the scheduled November 24 bye-election to the only vacant seat of the AJK Legislative Assembly from Mirpur City III (LA-3) constituency.

The seat had fallen vacant following disqualification of the sitting MLA and minister from the constituency and minister in the incumbent Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider-led AJK government of PML-N Ch. Muhammad Saeed by the Supreme Court of Azad Jammu & Kashmir in a contempt of court case on September 25.

The apex court had declared Saeed disqualified for contesting or holding any public office for next five years period.

AJK elections commission has, by now, announced the bye - election schedule to fill the vacant seat to the AJK Legislative Assembly, to be held on November 24 this year.

The nomination papers could be filed by the candidates by the stipulated last date of October 21 was the last date for filing the nomination papers according to the schedule, announced by the AJK Elections Commission.

All those 25 of the candidates who filed the nomination papers with the Returning Officer/ the serving Additional Session judge Mirpur Muhammad Idrees Bhatti here by the last day including prominent politicians including former Prime Minister and PTI AJK President Barrister Sultan Mahmood Chaudhry, ex city Mayor and former Special Assistant to AJK government Ch. Muhammad Ashraf, (belonging to PPP AJK Chapter), Mrs. Shagufta Saeed, Sohaib Saeed Chaudhry (wife and son respectively of the immediate-past former AJK minister Chaudhry Muhammad Saeed) (belonging to PML (N) AJK, Dr. Amin Chaudhry (ex Director General MDA), Wasif Amin Chaudhry, Khalid Fariooq, Tamkeen Bibi, Muhamamd Basharat, Tasleem Arif, Iftikhar Khadim, Muhammad Ikhlaq Jazbi, Muhammad Ashfaq, Muhammad Afzal Mirza, Zulfiqar Ali Bilawalk Khan, Choudhry Yasir Sultan, Muhammad Usman Arshad, Tahir Mahmood, Zaka Ullah Faiz, Raja Tanveer Hussaink, Raja Muhammad Naeeb Khan Taakher, Abdul Ghafoor, Muhammad Shafiq and Shakoor Ahmed Mughal, according to office of the Assistant Election Commissioner Mirpur.

The candidates came to the office of the returning officer for filing their nomination papers along with their jubilant supporters. A great enthusiasm was witnessed among the candidates and their supporters on this occasion.

The candidates belonging to various political parties have started girding lions to capture their respective parties candidature to contest scheduled November 24 bye-election to Azad Jammu & Kashmir Legislative Assembly seat of Mirpur-III, LA-3.

Though various impending contestant parties most particularly the AJK's sitting ruling PML [N] AJK branch, PTI AJK Chapter, PPP [AJK Unit] AJK Muslim Conference and Jamaat e Islami AJK have not so far officially announced the Names of their respective candidates to contest the scheduled bye-election arena, yet some of the candidates have launched their respective election campaign on their own.

It may be mentioned here that serious differences in the ranks of the local unit of the ruling PML [N] AJK emerged when an alleged-dissident local leader and ex minister Arshad Mahmood Ghazi-backed local 'N' leader and sitting Chairman District Zakaat Committee Haji Iftikhar Khadim formally announced to contest the scheduled bye-election from the above local constituency against the much-expected PTI AJK's nominee Barrister Sultan Mahmood Chaudhry, the PTI AJK Chapter's President and former Prime Minister of the State.

Khadim announced to contest the election at a news conference here despite the fact that the PML [N] has not so far announced the nomination of any of its candidate to jump into the elections arena to fight.

Sohaib Saeed Chaudhry, the son of the ex MLA from this constituency and former minister of the incumbent AJK government Ch. Muhammad Saeed, is considered to be the much-expected nominee of the PML [N] to contest the polls.

AJK Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider Khan, who also heads AJK branch of the PML- N, has, by now, constituted parliamentary board of his party to nominate the party's candidate to participate in the much-impending keenly-contested election especially between the candidates to the close rivals the PML-N and PTI, AJK Chapters.

The candidates belonging to other political parties emerged so far to jump for fight included Ch. Muhammad Ashraf, ex city mayor and a former Special Assistant to the immediate past AJK Government as impending PPP AJK candidate and Shakoor Mughal, the much-expected candidate of the AJK Muslim Conference.

Some of those who filed their nomination papers by the last day Monday included independent candidates preparing to contest the polls.

Final list of the candidates moved to fight, will appear on the stipulated date as according to the elections schedule announced so far by the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Election Commission.

The Azad Jammu and Kashmir Election Commission has already announced the following schedule of the bye-election to fill in the above vacant seat of the AJK-LA III Mirpur -3:- Last date of filing of nomination paper to the Returning officer is October 21.

Scrutiny of the nomination papers will be held on October 22.

Last date for filing of appeals will be October 26.

Hearing of the appeals will be held on October 28.

Last date of decisions on the appeals will be held the next day October 29.

Last date for withdrawal of the candidature will be October 30.

List of the candidates will be published the same day October 30.

Electoral symbols will be allotted on October 31.

Final list of the eligible candidates will be published the same day of October 31.

Polling will be held on November 24, 2019, according to the official notification issued by the AJK Election Commission.