LAHORE: The wife of ousted Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will contest the forthcoming by-election in NA-120, the parliamentary seat he was forced to vacate last month after the Supreme Court disqualified him from holding office.

Papers for Kulsoom Nawaz’s candidacy were filed with election authorities on Friday, Sharif adviser Asif Kirmani told reporters in Lahore.

The by-election is to be held in about 45 days.

Earlier, it was decided Shehbaz Sharif will contest for the vacant parliamentary seat; however, officials said his role as chief minister of Punjab that accounts for more than half of country’s 190 million people, is more important.

Meanwhile, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf has fielded Dr Yasmeen Rashid as its candidate for the constituency. She also submitted her nomination papers earlier in the day.