Islamabad: Pakistan's Finance Minister Shaukat Aziz, designated by President Pervez Musharraf as the country's next Prime Minister, today (July 6, 2004) filed nomination papers from Attock in Punjab province to contest for a seat in the National Assembly.

Aziz, international banker-turned Finance Minister, is to contest from two constituencies -- Attock in Punjab and Tharparkar in southern Sindh province. He would file nomination papers from Tharparkar tomorrow. The Finance Minister led a procession of hundreds of supporters to Attock, 80 kms northwest of Islamabad, to file the nomination papers, reports in Islamabad said.

The two constituencies were previously held by the members of Musharraf-backed ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Q (PML-Q) and were specially vacated for Aziz, who is a Senator, to become a member of the National Assembly. Under Pakistan's constitution it is mandatory requirement to be a member of National Assembly to become the Prime Minister.

Aziz is slated to succeed present Prime Minister and PML-Q chief Chawdhary Shujaat Hussain who took over after the resignation of Zafarullah Khan Jamali.

Pakistan's opposition parties were also planning to field strong candidates against Aziz from both constituencies.

Khan, who is already a member of the National Assembly, may be fielded to contest against Aziz.

However, Aziz is expected to have an easy run as the opposition parties were badly divided.

The Alliance for Restoration of Democracy (ARD) comprising mainstream moderate parties declined to join the Islamic alliance Muttahida Majlis-e Amal (MMA) to put up joint candidates against Aziz. In view of this, both are expected to file different candidates.

Filing of nomination papers would end on July 8 and the elections would be held on August 18.