February 24, 2003	Monday	Zul Hijjah 22, 1423

Please Visit our Sponsor (Ads open in separate window).

ISLAMABAD Feb 23: Former chairman Senate Wasim Sajjad was allotted party ticket by PML-Q in the last moment to contest on the sole technocrat’s seat from Islamabad in Feb 27 Senate polls, party sources confirmed to Dawn on Sunday.

There are four senate seats including one for technocrat for Islamabad for which the whole National Assembly membership will be electoral college and the members will poll votes for their respective candidates.

Dr Mazhar Qayyum an old party stalwart and aspirant for the same seat has been asked by the party to withdraw his candidature in favour of Wasim Sajjad.

With the allotment of ticket to Wasim Sajjad on the intervention of power brokers the party sources said, his claim on the chairman Senate slot was also almost confirmed.

He can be preferred on former Sindh governor Mohammedmian Soomro to give the slot to a person from smaller province since (Wasim Sajjad holds domicile of NWFP), the president is Sindh domiciled, speaker comes from Punjab and the premier had been chosen from Balochistan province.

The allotment of ticket was delayed due to ruling party’s indecision on selection of a consensus candidate as there were more than half a dozen party aspirants who insisted on getting party favours. They included the nominees of prime minister Jamali, Tariq Aziz former principal secretary to president and other party leaders.

Party’s secretary-general Salim Saifullah Khan told Dawn that the party had decided to field Wasim Sajjad, Mushahid Hussain Syed and Tahira Latif to contest polls.