PESHAWAR, Dec 8: The NWFP chapter of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) has fielded 12 candidates for the National Assembly seats and 14 for provincial assembly constituencies.

Speaking at a news conference at the press club here on Saturday, a three-member MQM committee — comprising former federal minister Shamim Siddiqui, Senator Ahmed Ali and former MNA Abdul Waseem — announced names of the party candidates. This is the first time that the MQM is fielding candidates for seats in the NWFP.

The MQM has nominated Mohammad Zubair Anjum for NA-1 (Peshawar-I) and NA-24 (Dera Ismail Khan), Ashfaq Khan for NA-9 (Mardan-I), Zahirullah Khan for NA-10 (Mardan-II), Afridi Khan for NA-11 (Mardan-III), Shahid Khan for NA-14 (Kohat), Ghulam Mustafa for NA-17 (Abbottabad-I), Nisar Ahmed Tanoli for NA-18 (Abbottabad-II), Naveed Akhtar Khan for NA-20 (Mansehra-I), Dr Ejaz Rabbani for NA-21 (Abbottabad), Mohammad Roshan Khan for NA-26 (Bannu) and Wali Said Mian for NA-37 (Kurram Agency).

It has nominated Khalida Nasreen for PF-4 (Peshawar-I), Rasheed Ahmed Khan for PF-24 (Mardan-II), Didar Shah for PF-25 (Mardan-III), Zafar Ali for PF-29 (Mardan-VIII), Kifayatullah Khan for PF-33 (Swabi-IV), Shaukat Khan for PF-34 (Swabi-V), Humayun Khan for PF-44 (Abbottabad-I), Hamid Awan for PF-49 (Haripur-I), Raja Khalid Nawaz for PF-54 (Mansehra-II), Naveed Akhtar for PF-55 (Mansehra-II), Mohammad Naeem for PF-59 (Battagram-I), Dr Mohammad Younus for PF-64 (Dera Ismail Khan-I), Junaid Tariq Qureshi for PF-68 (Dera Ismail Khan-V) and Sadiq Nawaz for PF-73 (Bannu).

Speaking on the occasion, Shamim Siddiqui said: “We all belong to the middle class. The MQM represents lower and middle class people, who have been victim of feudalism, tribalism and religious extremism for 60 years. The MQM has aired the demands of middle and working class people in elected assemblies. We are still far away from genuine and true democracy, but we are struggling for it from the MQM platform.”

According to him, MQM chief Altaf Hussain had challenged the feudal and tribal system and mobilised the middle class against the suppressive socio-economic system. He said it was a long political struggle for which the MQM had rendered many sacrifices since its inception.

Mr Waseem said the MQM had for the first time fielded candidates from all over the country. “None of our candidates is from the feudal class; all are from middle class background. Our party had joined the coalition government to steer the country out of the economic crisis and social strife,” he claimed.

Answering a question, Mr Waseem denied that the MQM was involved in the May 12 massacre in Karachi and said the MQM itself had been a victim of anti-people forces in the past. He said the MQM had become a mainstream party like the Pakistan People’s Party and the Pakistan Muslim League. In future, he said, the party would emerge as the voice of the poor.

Senator Ali claimed that the MQM had delivered and people of urban Sindh were witness to the socio-economic development in the province.