Probe into defaming messages against Zardari

Karachi, Aug 31: Pakistan investigating agency the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has started an investigation into the people behind certain defamatory cell phone messages being spread about the PPP Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari, who is running for country's President post, voting for which is slated to take place on Sep 6. The federal government has taken a serious note of the 'character assassination campaign' against the PPP presidential candidate, the Daily Times quoted PPP sources as saying.

The content of the SMSs was, however, not known. Zardari is among the three contenders for the post, after the withdrawal of nomination papers by Faryal Talpur and Roedad Khan, who were the covering candidates for Zardari and PML-N candidate Zaman Siddiqui, respectively. The third contender in the fray is PML-Q candidate Mushahid Hussain Syed.

According to the Daily Times, even after the withdrawal of nominations by the two covering candidates, a candidate may still retire from contesting election by submitting a notice in writing signed by him and delivered to the returning officer (chief election commissioner) on any day not later than three days before the polling day under Rule 6(3) of the Presidential Election Rules, 1988.

Initially, 32 candidates had filed their nomination papers, but the Pakistan Election Commission rejected the papers of 27 candidates on technical grounds during scrutiny.

Polling will be held in a joint session of the Senate and the National Assembly and in the provincial assemblies from 10am till 3pm on September 6.

ANI