LAHORE: At least 23 Senate hopefuls filed their candidatures with the Election Commission`s Punjab office here in two days (Feb 12-13) fixed for the purpose.

They included federal ministers Pervaiz Rashid and Mushahidullah Khan, PML-N chairman Raja Zafarul Haq, MJAH chief Prof Sajid Mir and PPP`s Nadeem Afzal Chan.

ThePML-NfieldedSaleem Zia, another Karachlite, in place of Dr Asif Kirmani, whose party ticket was withdrawn a day ago.

With this change in nomination, Lahore and Faisalabad divisions will now go unrepresented in Senate from the PML-N side. It was learnt that Mr Rashid, Railways Minister Khwaja Saad Rafiq and former AJK prime minister Farooq Haider, a brother-in-law of Saleem Zia, played a major role in winning party ticket for the PML-N leader in Sindh.

Talking to the media after submitting his papers, the information minister said the PML-N gave Senate tickets to the candidates on the basis of their qualification, capability, democratic struggle and parliamentary experience.

He said the party always discouraged differences on ethnic and parochial tendencies with the aim of promoting national harmony and solidarity.

He said that any person who `landed through the parachute` would not be a candidate of the PML-N in the Senate election, conveniently ignoring the fact that Steel Mills chairman during Musharraf regime retired Lt-Gen Abdul Qayyum is not even basic PML-N member and started interacting with the party leadership after hard time of the party was over.

Responding to a question about the proposed visit of the Chinese president and US president`s telephone call to Nawaz Sharif, Mr Rashid said the developments are a good omen for Pakistan showing the importance the international community gives to the country.

He said the government was ready to form a judicial commission to probe the alleged election rigging on the demand of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chairman Imran Khan provided the latter demanded this in writing.

Asked who would be the new Punjab governor, the minister said that the prime minister would announce the name soon.

Replying to a question about the statement of the ISPR director general regarding Indian involvement in terrorism here, he said that the army is a state institution and a responsible army officer gave this statement on solid evidence.