Rawalpindi: Former federal minister and PML-Q leader Sheikh Rashid Ahmed on Tuesday filed his nomination papers to contest by-elections from NA-55, Rawalpindi. Shaikh Rashid along with hundreds of supporters including Rawal Town Nazim Shaikh Rashid Shafique reached the District Courts, Rawalpindi, for filing his nomination papers.

Shaikh Rashid while staying outside the court sent his nephew Rashid Shafique to the returning officer for filing his nomination papers who requested the court to accept his nomination papers, as he (Rashid) could not appear due to security risks. Sheikh Rashid was hesitant to enter the court due to lawyers' anger. But the returning officer asked him to bring the orders of Election Commission in this regard otherwise the candidate must be present in the court for filing his nomination papers.

Then Shaikh Rashid Ahmed appeared before the returning officer in district courts, Rawalpindi for filing his nomination papers. He completely avoided the media and did not give any comments and went straight to Lal Haveli.

The sources told 'The News' that Sheikh Rashid Ahmed will contest the by-elections from NA-55, Rawalpindi constituency, as an independent candidate. The PML-Q leadership was not interested to give him the party ticket.

Meanwhile, Zohaib Khan Afridi, Begum Nasim Ali and Malik Tabarak Hussain also filed their nomination papers for NA-55 constituency on Tuesday.