Presidential candidates have till 12pm to withdraw candidature

Candidates vying for the office of the country’s president have until 12pm today (Thursday) to withdraw their candidature.

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) will publish the final list of candidates for the presidential election at 1pm.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's Dr Arif Alvi, Pakistan Peoples Party's (PPP) Aitzaz Ahsan and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rahman are in the run for the presidential election to be held on September 4.

A day earlier, the ECP scrutinised and approved the nomination papers of the three candidates as opposition remained divided over fielding a consensus candidate.

PPP has decided that it would not withdraw its presidential candidate Ahsan.

Meanwhile, the other opposition parties have fielded the JUI-F chief as their presidential candidate.

PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari summoned a party meeting on Tuesday to discuss cooperation sought by Maulana Fazl for a consensus presidential candidate.

Zardari said the JUI-F leader was a respected figure for them, but they had to make a "political decision", according to sources, adding that the PPP could not compromise its principled politics.

Polling for the presidential election will be held on September 4.

The president is elected by an electoral college comprising members of the Senate, National Assembly, and the four provincial assemblies. Voting is held through a secret ballot.