KARACHI: As submission of nomination papers for the February 8 general elections officially began in the metropolis on Wednesday, a lacklustre response was showed by contesting parties and individuals in the city’s seven districts where many nomination papers were issued by election authorities on the first day of the three-day process.

With one day of the process already passed with not much enthusiasm among the contestants, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) and the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam Fazal (JUI-F) appealed to the chief election commissioner to extend the deadline for filing nomination papers, which is scheduled to end tomorrow [December 22, Friday].

The leaders of the contesting parties and sources privy to the official process said that hundreds of forms had been issued for 22 National Assembly and 37 Sindh Assembly seats, but only a few were returned with all formalities to get filed as nomination papers of the candidates.

“For instance take a look at the south district,” said a source privy to the data gathered on the first day of the process.

Muttahida, JUI-F ask CEC to extend deadline for submission of nominations as only two days left

“For three National Assembly seats from the district [NA-239, NA-240 and NA-241] a total of 215 forms were issued. But only one form was filed as nomination for NA-239. For five Sindh Assembly seats [PS-106 to PS-110] a total of 324 forms were issued, but none of the constituencies received any nomination papers. The process, we hope, would gather pace and momentum tomorrow [Thursday].”

Among the heavyweights who filed the nomination papers, Mustafa Kamal emerged as the only one who had completed the process to become candidate from NA-242 and filed the nomination paper for the constituency.

From the same constituency, the sources said, former prime minister and senior Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Shehbaz Sharif had collected the nomination form.

Seeing the ‘complications’ in the process and a very short time given by the ECP, the MQM-P ‘requested’ the chief election commissioner (CEC) to extend the deadline for filing the nomination papers while describing it as a ‘tedious job’.

“Filing of nomination is a tedious job. There is a long list of formalities requiring time and a lot of paperwork. The duration of three days provided, therefore, does not seem enough, and it may discourage adequate participation,” said Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqi of the MQM-P in a letter to the ECP chief.

“In the interest of free and fair elections and to encourage wider participation, the Muttahida Quami Movement-Pakistan suggests and requests the Election Commission that the duration for filing nomination papers may kindly be extended sufficiently, under Section 58 (1) of the Election Act, 2017.”

The same request was also forwarded by the JUI-F.

The party’s senior leader Senator Kamran Murtaza in his letter to CEC expressed concerns about the limited time allotted for filing nomination papers and called for extension in its deadline from four to seven days.

The JUI senator said his party had no objection to the overall election schedule, but it only wanted some more time for interesting contestants which the ECP could allow under Section 58 of the Election Act.

Zardari’s papers obtained in Nawabshah

NAWABSHAH: A nomination form of former president of Pakistan and PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari was obtained here on Wednesday for NA-207 (Nawabshah-I) as the process for the Feb 8 general elections began with candidates receiving and submitting papers to the concerned returning officers (ROs) in Sindh.

Advocate Ghulam Shabbir Zardari collected the document on behalf of Mr Zardari from the office of RO Subhash Chandar.

Asif Zardari had contested and won from the same constituency, previously NA-203 (Nawabshah-I), in the general polls of 2018.

Others who collected their nomination papers from the concerned ROs in Nawabshah, Sanghar and Naushahro Feroze districts included former MNAs —Syed Zafar Ali Shah, Ghulam Murtaza Jatoi, Shazia Atta Marri, Naveed Dero, Fida Dero, Syed Abrar Shah and Zulfiqar Ali Behan. Former Sindh health minister Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho, ex-law minister Ziaul Hasan Lanjar, former MPA Saleem Raza Jalbani, Masroor Jatoi and others were also among the recipients.

In Hyderabad, a few of the candidates received and submitted their nomination forms the same day.

Jam Khan Shoro, former Sindh irrigation minister and MPA from Qasimabad constituency, submitted his form for PS-60. He was elected from there in 2013 and 2018. Former MNA Tariq Shah Jamote filed his nomination for NA-218 (Hyderabad (rural) wherefrom he was elected in the last polls. MQM-P’s Nasir Hussain submitted his form for PS-65 (Hyderabad city).

In Tando Mohammad Khan, Syed Naveed Qamar, a central PPP leader, obtained form from for a National Assembly seat. Papers were also obtained in Badin and Sanghar districts as well. Forms could be filed till Dec 22.

In Sukkur, according to the data released by the District Election Commission, leaders of political parties and independent candidates received forms for two seats of the National Assembly and four of the Sindh Assembly.

The PPP’s Khurshid Shah, Numan Islam Sheikh, Nasir Shah, Farrukh Shah and Owais Qadir Shah received the forms through their lawyers.

The PTI’s Mubeen Jatoi and Manzoor received their forms besides the candidates of the JUI-F and MQM-Pakistan.

In Jacobabad, for NA-190 in Jacobabad, 16 candidates from different parties received forms. Among them were former federal minister Muhammad Mian Soomro, former provincial PPP adviser Mir Aijaz Hussain Jakhrani, former MPA Sardarzada Aurangzeb Panhwar, Mir Khalid Khan Jakhrani, Mir Asghar Khan Panhwar, Sardarzada Qadir Khan Khoso, Dr A. G. Ansari of the JUI-F and Musmat Iram Naushin.

For PS-1, 34 candidates collected forms. They were included social leader Haji Sher Muhammad Mugheri, Sardarzada Aurangzeb Panhwar, Sardarzada Suleman Panhwar, Mir Asghar Khan Panhwar, Mir Shujaullah Panhwar, Sardarzada Qadir Khan Khoso, Mir Liaqat Ali Lashari, Mir Raja Khan Jakhrani, Mir Rehmatullah Khoso, Masmat Iram Nausheen and Bibi Asia.

For PS-2 (Thull), former MPA Dr Sohrab Khan Sarki, Mir Shafique Ahmed Khoso, Moula Bakhsh Koso, Mohsin Khan Sarki, Jamaat-i-Islami’s Abdul Hafeez Bijrani and others have received nomination forms.

For PS-3 (Garhi Khero), nomination papers were received by former provincial adviser Mir Ijaz Hussain Jakrani, former MPA Mir Mumtaz Hussain Jakhrani, Mir Sajjad Khan Jakhrani, Mir Shafqat Hussain Jakhrani, Mir Aurangzeb Panhwar and others.

UMERKOT: For NA-213 Nawab Muhammad Yousuf Talpur of the PPP, Lalchand Malhi of the PTI and Mir Amanullah Talpur of the PML-N received nomination papers.

For PS-49 (Pithoro), Syed Sardar Ali Shah and Syed Ameer Ali Shah of the PPP, Khizar Hayat Mangrio of the GDA, Lalchand Malhi of the PTI received forms.

For PS-50 (Umerkot) Syed Ameer Ali Shah and Syed Sardar Ali Shah of the PPP, Arbab Ibrahim of the GDA and Lalchand Malhi of the PTI received nomination forms.

For PS-51 (Kunri), Nawab Taimur Talpur of the PPP, Dr Dost Muhammad Memon and Muhammad Jam Memon of the PTI received the nomination papers.

Published in Dawn, December 21st, 2023