KARACHI: Main rivals for Senate seats file papers today
By Habib Khan Ghori
KARACHI, Feb 12: The Pakistan People’s Party and Pakistan Muslim League-Q, two of the three main stake-holders in the Senate election, are set to file nomination papers of their candidates on Monday, the deadline for the purpose. Four of the PPP and two of the PML Senators are due to retire on March 11.
The Muttahida Qaumi Movement, whose four of the seven Senators are due to retire, has filed nomination papers of its seven candidates since Saturday, when the nomination process started. Two of its candidates are contesting on general seats, three on women seats and two on technocrat seats.
The Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal, aspiring to get back its only Senate seat from Sindh, will also file the nomination papers of its candidate, Owais Ahmad Shah Noorani, son of the founder chief of the alliance, Maulana Shah Ahmad Noorani, who occupied the seat till his demise. The MMA had lost the seat to the MQM in the ensuing by-election.
There are 11 seats for each province on which election is being held on March 6. Of them, seven are general seats and two each reserved for women and technocrats.
On Sunday, three more aspirants for the Senate seats from Sindh submitted their nomination papers to the Election Commission, bringing the total number of candidates to nine.
All the fresh papers came from the MQM which has nominated Saeed Siddiqui and Abdul Khaliq Pirzada for technocrat seats and Sabira Khatoon for one of the women seats.
The six candidates who had filed their nomination papers on Saturday are MQM ticket-holders Ahmad Ali and Col (r) Syed Tahir Hussain Siddiqui (general seats) and Ms Abida Saif and Ms Nighat Mirza (women seats); PML-F ticket-holder Justice (r) Abdul Razzaq Thaheem (general seat); and Miss Saba Rabbani Tiwana, an independent candidate (women seat).
Political observers on Sunday indicated that the Sindh coalition, comprising MQM, PML-Q, PML-F and PPP-Patriots, had a total strength of 101 votes. If any non-MQM ally did not change his loyalty, the coalition will succeed in securing five general seats, as well as one technocrat and one women seat, depending on the expected preference votes. If there is a change of loyalty or imbalance in preference vote, this may upset the coalition’s applecart.
The PML-F candidate, Justice (r) Abdul Razzaq Thaheem has already filed his nomination papers whereas the PML-Q ticket-holders, Abdul Ghaffar Qureshi, Kishanchand Perwani and Ms Seemi Siddiqui would be filing their nomination papers on Monday.
How the coalition makes adjustments on seven seats depends on the mutual understanding of the component parties. Any defiance of the understanding on the party of any group with-in the PML-Q may cost the coalition a general seat, according to the observers. At the same time, according to insiders, there are equal chances for the PML-Q to secure some votes from the opposition camp which may cover up its unforeseen loss, feared due to bickering within the party.
In the case of the joint opposition, the PPP-MMA strength is 67 votes and it can secure three general seats, in addition to one each of the technocrat and women seats.
However, for such a victory, the opposition will have to ensure 100 per cent turnout, as well as complete loyalty, on the part of its members.
The PPP has awarded tickets to Mian Raza Rabbani and Dr Safdar Abbasi against general seats and Mrs Ratna Bhagwandas Chawla.
It is learnt that the PPP has agreed to extend support to MMA by assuring 13-14 votes for its candidate on a general seat in lieu of the MMA’s support to the PPP candidate in the NWFP assembly. However, the MMA leadership, till Sunday night, was trying to persuade the JUI-F not to field Dr Khalid Mehmood Soomro as its candidate.
