KARACHI: Over 2,000 poll papers filed in six days
KARACHI, Nov 26: The first phase of the Jan 8 general election, which began on Nov 21 with the issuance of nomination forms to candidates, completed on Monday, which was the last day for filing nomination papers.
Long queues were seen in front of the offices of returning officers, including provincial election commissioner Chaudhry Qamaruz Zaman who received nomination papers of candidates seeking to return to seats reserved for women and non-Muslims.
Sources say that over the last five days in the province more than 2,200 nomination papers were filed by candidates hoping to make it to the National Assembly and the provincial assembly.
In Sindh, there are 61 general seats of the National Assembly as well as 14 such seats reserved for women. In the Sindh Assembly, out of 168 seats 29 are reserved for women and nine for non-Muslims.
During the last five days, over 250 nomination papers were filed against reserved seats including 58 against reserved seats of women in the NA and 115 against women’s seats in the provincial assembly while 55 nominations against seats reserved for non-Muslim in the Sindh Assembly.
Nominees of almost all prominent political parties, except Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf, were seen filing nomination papers against general and reserved seats of the National Assembly and the provincial assembly.
Candidates supported by the Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) and the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) have mostly filed nomination papers for the 20 seats of the National Assembly and the 42 seats of the Sindh Assembly from Karachi. In Karachi, over 100 nominations were filed for National Assembly seats by the evening and 300 candidates deposited their nomination papers for provincial assembly seats.
Some of the prominent candidates from different political parties who were seen submitting their nomination papers to returning officers include former provincial home adviser Waseem Akhtar, Khushbakht Shujaat, in-cahrge MQM coordination committee Anwar Alam, Karachi JI chief Mohammad Hussain Mehanti, former Karachi nazim Niamatullah Khan, former JI legislators Nasrullah Shaji, Maulana Omar Sadiq, Qari Usman, Laeeq Khan, Asadullah Bhutto, Siddiq Rathore, Dr Mairajul Huda Siddiqui, PML-N leaders Sardar Raheem, Malik Riaz, Sultan Bahadur, Saleem Zia, Tariq Khan, ANP leaders Shahi Syed, Farooq Bangash, Zarali Syed, Sultan Mandokhel, former provincial deputy speaker Rahila Tiwana, former Sindh minister Dr Saeeda Malik, PPP legislators Fauzia Wahab and Humera Alwani and Imtiaz Shaikh, Capt (retd) Haleem Siddiqui, Mohammad Asif Khan from the newly formed Aman Pasand Panel while former provincial minister Irfanullah Khan Marwat who is one of the members of the PML-Q parliamentary board filed his nomination papers as an independent candidate.
The Muttahida Qaumi Movement is likely to field most of its former lawmakers in the Jan 8 general election from different national and provincial assembly seats in the city.
A number of old faces were among those who have filed nomination papers on 20 National Assembly and 42 provincial assembly seats in the metropolis.
Joint incharge coordination committee Abdul Haseeb (NA-240), Dr Farooq Sattar (NA-249 and NA-252), Hyder Abbas Rizvi (NA-241, NA-244, NA-253), former housing minister Iqbal Muhammad Ali (NA-252, NA-253 and NA-256).
Former provincial home adviser Waseem Akhtar also filed nomination from a national assembly seat (NA-251).
Famous TV compere Khushbakht Shujaat also filed a nomination paper from a National Assembly seat (NA-250) that comprises localities of Defence and Clifton. Former MNA Akhlaq Hussain Abidi also filed a nomination paper from the same constituency.
Dr Nadeem Ahsan, who returned here from Canada to contest the election, filed nominations from NA-247.
Former Communication minister Shamim Siddiqui and former state minister for religious affairs Dr Abdul Qadir Khanzada also filed nomination papers from two seats each.
Former MNAs Kanwar Khalid Younus, Abdul Waseem filed nomination papers from NA-245.
Incharge coordination committee Anwar Alam filed nomination from a provincial assembly seat (PS-106). Former provincial ministers Syed Sardar Ahmed, Shoaib Bukhari, Adil Siddiqui, Dr Sagheer Ahmed, Rauf Siddiqui and former MPAs including Shakir Ali, Faisal Subzwari, Moin Khan, Amir Moin, Imamuddin Shahzad, Bilquis Mukhtar, Khalid bin Wilayat were among those who filed nomination papers from different provincial assembly seats.
Some other leaders including Raza Haroon, Askari Taqvi, Abdul Moid Siddiqui, Adil Khan, Arshad Hasan and famous orthopedic surgeon Dr Muhammad Ali Shah also filed nominations on various provincial assembly seats.
The following list was released by the president of the MMA Sindh chapter, Asadullah Bhutto, who presided over its provincial parliamentary board’s meeting:
NA seats: 239- JUI-F Qari Usman, 240-JUI-F Qari Usman/ Sheerin, 241– JI Laeeq Khan, 242-JI Taj Mohammad, 243 – JUP Saleemuddin Qureshi/Farakh Danish, 244-JI Rashid, 245 JI Dr Mairajul Huda Siddiqui, 246-JI Rashid Nasim, 247-JUP Ilyas Siddiqui, 248-JUI-F Nasiruddin Sawati, 249-JUP Shabbir Abu Talib, 250-JI Niamatullah Khan, 251-JI Abdul Ghaffar Umar, 252–JI Mohammad Hussain Mehanti, 253-JI Asadullah Bhutto, 254-JUP Syed Aqil Anjum, 255-JI Abdul Jalil, 256-JUP Siddiq Rathore, 257-JI Farooq Ahmad, and 258-JUI-F Maulana Abdul Karim Abid.
PS seats: 89-JUP Shabbir Abu Talib, 90-JUI-F Maulana Omar Sadiq, 91-JUI-F Hafiz Naeem, 92-JUP Rafiur Rehman Noorani, 93-JI Hameedullah advocate, 94-JI Taj Mohammad, 95-JUP Amanullah Khan Niazi, 96-JUP Wali Mustafai, 99-JUP Farakh Danish, 100-JUI-F, 101-JI Nasim Siddiqui, 102-JI Syed Mohammad Iqbal, 103-JI Muzaffar Ahmad Hashmi, 104 JI Hafiz Naeemur Rehman, 105-JI Intikhab Alam, 106-JUP Mohammad Mustafain, 107-JUP Mohammad Askari, 108-JI Tahir Akbar, 109-JUP Tajuddin Siddiqui, 110-JUP Shabbir Abu Talib, 111-JI H.M. Hanif, 112-JUP Siddiq Rathore, 113-JI Akbar Mehanti, 114-JI Raja Arif Sultan, 118-JI Qutub Ahmad, 119-JUP Mohammad Haleem Ghauri, 120-JUP Allama Zahid Siraj, 121-JUP Nishat Rasul, 122-JUP Iftikhar Baig, 123-JUP Abdul Aziz Rajput, 124-JUP JI Abdul Saeem, 125-JI Mehardin Afzal, 126JI Yunus Barai, 128-JUI-F Ahsanullah Hazarvi and 129-JI Abdul Rauf Pirzada.
NA reserved women seats: Dr Farida, Dr Noorun Nisa, Zainab Khan, Khalida Shafiq Patafi, Aziza Anjum, Attia Nisar.
NA non-Muslim seats: Yunus Khan, Raja Rajesh Kumar, Ghamir Chander, Razzaq Inayat, Astar Azhar.
PS women seats: Rafia Azam Jehangiri, Kaneez Raza, Attia Nisar, Bilqees Siddiqui, Humera Khalid and Samina.
PS non-Muslims seats: Saba Pervez, Achar Sha, Saleem Michael, Naik Karmo, and Nausheen Bano
PS-108 Malik Riaz, PS-109 Sultan Bahadur, PS-113 Salim Zia, PS-114 Sardar Rahim.
For NA seats: 239- Zarwali Syed, 240- Mohammad Hanif advocate, 241- Zarwali Syed, 245- Jumma Khan Babar, 250- Farooq Bangash, 255- Qari Abdul Sattar Mandokhel and 258- Shahzad Ali Khan.
PS seats: 49- Anwar Zaib, 89- Zarwali Syed, 90- Abdul Qayoom advocate, 91- Abdul Hayat, 92- Mohammad Yusuf advocate, 93-Amir Nawab, 94-Gulraj Khan, 96- Amir Nawab, 97-Jumma Khan Babar, 103- Mohammad Aslam Mandokhel, 112-Khalid Khan, 116- Nadeem Jan, 119- Farooq Bangash, 125- Saeed Ahmad Khan, 126-Bashir Jan, 127 Pir Yasin, 128-Fazal Amin, 129- Zarwali Syed and 130 Waseem Shah Mishwani.
Irfanullah Khan Marwat has filed as independent candidate for PS-114.