Times of India : Bhutto, Sharif to submit nomination papers on Monday

Bhutto, Sharif to submit nomination papers on Monday

November 25, 2007

ISLAMABAD: Despite a call by an opposition group for boycotting the upcoming general elections, former Pakistan prime ministers Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif will file their nominations on Monday, the last day to submit the papers for their candidature.

Pakistan People's Party chairperson Bhutto will file her nomination papers from two parliamentary constituencies in Larkana, a traditional stronghold of her family in Punjab province.

Bhutto will file her nominations on Monday in Larkana, her party sources said.

Sharif, the head of the PML-N party, will file nominations with his wife Kulsoom and his brother Shahbaz Sharif in Lahore.

The All Parties Democratic Movement, of which the PML-N is a member, yesterday said it would boycott parliamentary polls if President Pervez Musharraf did not end the Emergency, restore fundamental rights and reinstate deposed judges of the Supreme Court within four days.

The APDM said it was also in talks with the PPP to convince Bhutto to boycott polls held in a state of Emergency. Bhutto, who travelled from Islamabad to Karachi on Sunday after meeting with PPP leaders to assess the political situation, has so far been non-committal on boycotting the election.

Both the PML-N and the PPP have indicated that if all political parties agreed on a boycott, their candidates could withdraw their nomination papers.

PML-N leader Ishaq Dar, a confidant of Sharif, said it was "common sense" as Sunday is the last date to file nominations papers.