Sheikh Rashid’s nephew gets PTI ticket to contest NA-60 by-polls

RAWALPINDI: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has issued ticket to Sheikh Rasheed Shafique, nephew of Railways Minister Sheikh Rasheed, to contest by-elections from Rawalpindi NA-60 constituency.

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on July 22 postponed election in NA-60 in the wake of PML-N candidate Hanif Abbasi’s disqualification due to his conviction by the Control of Narcotics Substances Court in the ephedrine case.

However, the ECP started the process for holding the by-election by issuing nomination papers to the candidates on Monday. Polling will be held on October 14 while the process of nomination papers submission will be finalised by Sept 16.

In the July 25 election, the AML president was a candidate for NA-60 and NA-62. He won the NA-62 seat and wanted to field his nephew Sheikh Rasheed Shafique in the by-election for NA-60.

Mr Shafique is a former nazim of Rawal Town. He also contested the 2002 election but lost to Hanif Abbasi who was then a candidate of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA).

The Control of Narcotics Substances (CNS) Court of Rawalpindi handed down life term to Abbasi in the case related to misuse of controlled chemical ephedrine.

Mr Abbasi was contesting election against Awami Muslim League (AML) chief Sheikh Rashid from NA-60, Rawalpindi and the PML-N did not have a covering candidate in the constituency.