LAHORE: In an interesting development, Hafiz Noman, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N)’s covering candidate for NA-120 by-poll, has not withdrawn his nomination papers in favour of the party’s nominated candidate – Kulsoom Nawaz Hafiz Noman will contest NA-120 by-election as an independent candidate as the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has allotted him laptop as the polls symbol. Meanwhile, Kulsoom Nawaz will contest the by-poll on lion symbol. According to details, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI)’s covering candidate Andleeb Abbas and Pakistan People’s Party’s (PPP)’s covering candidate Azizur Rehman Chann withdrew their nomination papers on Friday (the last day given by the ECP to withdraw nomination papers). Pakistan Awami Tehreek’s (PAT)’s nominated candidate Ishtiaq Ahmed also withdrew his nomination papers and announced to support the PTI in the by-poll. However, Hafiz Noman, the PML-N’s covering candidate did not withdraw nomination papers and would contest the NA-120 by-poll as an independent candidate. A close aide of Hafiz Noman confirmed that he (Noman) did not take back his nomination papers on the directives of his party’s leadership. Meanwhile, the ECP Friday allotted polls symbols to candidates of other political parties. Ziauddin Ansari of the Jamaat-e-Islami was allotted with scale, Pakistan People’s Party Workers Group’s (PPP-W)’s candidate Sajid Mir was allotted with victory sign. The constituency is considered to be a stronghold of ruling PML-N, however, its candidate Kulsoom Nawaz is less likely to run the election campaign as she has been diagnosed with throat cancer. It may be mentioned that the ECP has decided to use, as a test case, biometric machines in the NA-120 by-poll. According to a statement, the ECP would be using 100 biometric devices at 39 polling booths on experimental basis in the by-election while army troops would be deployed inside and outside the polling stations on the polling day. The NA-120 seat fell vacant after former premier Nawaz Sharif was disqualified by the Supreme Court in the Panama Papers case on July 28 for concealing his salary from a Dubai-based company, which he claimed he had never received. Published in Daily Times, August 26th 2017.