KARACHI, Nov 25: Over 700 candidates, including 105 women and minority members, from across the province have fielded themselves as candidates for the general elections for 229 seats from Sindh in the provincial and national assemblies till Sunday, which was the fifth and the second last day for submitting nomination papers as scheduled by the Election Commission.
Monday is the last day for filing nomination papers with the respective returning officers. The commission has extended the deadline till 12 midnight to facilitate the process. Candidates have been informed that they are not required to produce a certificate of their nomination by the party while presenting their nomination papers, but at the time of allocation of the symbol.
This rule equally applies on those contesting for the seats reserved for women and minorities. However, they could only contest on general seats as independent candidates if they failed to produce a certificate of their nomination at the time of allocation of the symbol.
For 42 seats of Karachi in the provincial assembly, 178 nominations have been filed so far. The highest number of nominations were filed in Karachi south where 67 candidates fielded themselves to contest the elections, which was followed by west and central with 42 contestants each. Twenty-seven nomination papers were submitted to returning officer in Malir.
For 14 reserved seats of women in the national assembly, 22 candidates have filed their papers from Sindh so far. The highest number of nominations have been filed by the Pakistan Muslim League (PML-Q) which has fielded its eight members, followed by the Pakistan People’s Party (five), Muttahida Qaumi Movement (four), Pakistan Muslim League-Functional (three), Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (one) and the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (one).
Among them, prominent are Benazir Bhutto, Sheher Bano, Sherry and Nafisa Shah from the PPP, Hameeda Khuhro and Dr Saeeda Malik from the PML-Q, and Dr Farida Siddiqui from the JUI.
For 29 reserved seats of women in the provincial assembly, 56 candidates have filed nominations till Sunday. Among them, 23 are from the MQM, 11 from the PML-Q, nine from the PPP, three from the PML-F, two from the NPP and one each from the Awami National Party, the MMA and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz.
Among them, the prominent nominees are Dr Huma Mir, Salma Waheed Murad, Nuzhat Pathan, Mehreen Razzaq Bhutto, Farheen Moghal, Shama Mithani and Heer Soho and Nadia Gabol.
For nine reserved seats of non-Muslims in the provincial assembly, 19 candidates have, so far, filed nominations. The PPP and the PML-Q have filed five nominations each, PML-N four, PML-F three and the MQM and the MMA have filed only one nomination each so far.
Candidates who filed nomination papers for seats reserved for women in the National Assembly:
Dr Saeeda Malik, PML-Q (for three seats); Ms Tanvir Khalid, PML-Q; Ms Rana Shah, PML-Q (for two seats), Ms Naila Inam, PML-F; Bibi Shehnaz, PML-Q; Ms Sheher Bano Shery, PPP; Ms Khursheed Afghan, PML-Q; Ms Fakirshah Naz Taj, PML-Q; Dr Huma Mir, PML-Q; Dr Hameeda Khoro, PML; Ms Mahreen Razaq Bhutto, PPP; Ms Farida Ahmed Siddiqi, JUI-P; Ms Asia Ishaq Siddiqi, PML-Q; Ms Benazir Bhutto, PPP (for two seats); Ms Reena Kumari, PML-F; Reeta Alias Priya, Ms Nafeesa Shah, PPP (for two seats); Ms Rifat Khan, MQM; Ms Azra Saeed Jameel, MQM; Ms Shagufta Sadiq, MQM,
Ms Masooma Syed Zaidi, MQM; and Ms Bilqees Muzzafar, MMA.
Candidates who filed nomination papers for seats reserved for minorities in the Sindh Assembly:
Mr Ramesh Kumar, PPP; Mr Lal Chund, PPP; Mr Nand Kumar Goklani, PML-F, Mr David, PML-F, Mr Labho Jee, PML-Q, Mr Lal Chand, PPP (for two seats); Mr Narain Das PML-Q; Mr Raimal PML-N, Mr Nar Singh, PML-Q, Mr Khem Chand, MMA; Mr Hidayat Masih, PML-N, Dr Dilgi Ram, PML-N, Mr Lal Chand, PPP; Mr Ram Singh, PML-Q (for two seats); Mr Parveen Singh, PML-Q; Mr Pertab Singh, MQM; Mr Bhawan, PML-N; Engineer Gian Chand, PPP; and Mr Muhesh Kumar, PML-F (for two seats).
Candidates who filed nomination papers for seats reserved for women in the Sindh Assembly:
Ms Saeeda Malik, PML-Q, (for three seats), Ms Khursheed Abbas Dashti, PPP; Mrs. Tanvir Khalid, PML-Q, Ms Nusrat Bano Sehar Abbasi, PML-Q (for two seats), Ms Amna alias Saima Jabeen, PML-Q; Ms Afshan Imran-PML-Q; Ms Noor-ul-Ain, PML-N, Ms Naila Inam, PML-F; Bibi Shahnaz, PML-Q; Ms Faqir Shahnaz Taj, PML-Q, Begum Gulzarunar, PML-F; Ms Nasreen Chandio, PPP; Ms Tauqeer Fatima, PPP; Dr Huma Mir, PML-Q; Ms Mumtaz Fatima, PPP; Ms Farah Naz, PML-Q; Syeda Marvi Rashdi, PML-F; Ms Mahreen Razaque Bhutto, PPP; Ms Salma Waheed Murad, PML-Q; Dr Sajeela Leghari, PML-Q; Ms Firdous Hameed Farheen Mughal, PPP; Ms Najma Chawla, PPP; Ms Shazia Phulpoto, PML-F; Ms Nuzhat Pathan, PML; Ms Samina Khalil, NPP; Ms Fariha Lodhi, NPP; Ms Rainaz Bozdar, PPP; Ms Saima Syed, ANP; Ms Saira Naseer, PML-F; Ms Nadia Gabol, MQM; Ms Shama Arif Mithani, PPP; Seema Zaidi, MQM; Ms Sikandar Khatoon, MQM; Ms Mahreen, MQM; Ms Naheed Begum, MQM; Ms Amber, MQM; Ms. Shahnaz, PPP; Ms Qamar Jahan, MQM; Ms Rana Mazhar, MQM; Ms Heer Sobho, MQM; Syeda Shehla Raza, PPP; Farzana Rajput, MQM; Ms Kiran Masood, MQM; Ms Naila Munir, MQM; Ms Humira Khanum, MQM; Ms Tahseen Mashkoor, MQM; Ms Musarrat Jabeen, MQM; Ms Husna Aftab, MQM; Ms Quratul Ain Khan, MQM; Ms Afroz Jehan, MQM; Ms Nighat Tauqeer, MQM; Ms Surriya Ghani, MQM; Ms Sabira Khatoon, MQM; Ms Nusrat Bano Warsi, MQM, Ms Rabia Jamal, MQM; and Ms Bilqees Muzaffar, MMA.
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