November 22, 2007	Thursday	Ziqa’ad 11, 1428

HYDERABAD, Nov 21: The Pakistan People’s Party (Shaheed Bhutto) chairperson Ghinwa Bhutto, PPP leader Nisar Ahmed Khuhro, vice-chairman of PPP Makhdoom Amin Faheem, his son Makhdoom Jamiluzzaman and MMA leader Dr Khalid Mehmood Soomro were among the candidates who obtained nomination papers on Wednesday, the first day after official announcement of elections schedule.

In Hyderabad, there was no traditional rush of candidates and their supporters in the civil courts building, which housed the offices of returning officers (ROs) and district returning officers (DROs), perhaps due to indecision by major political parties including MMA, PPP and PML-N about their participation in elections.

In Hyderabad district 50 forms, 10 for NA and 15 for PA seats were obtained; in Tando Allahyar three for NA and six for PA seats were obtained; in Matiari six forms each were obtained for NA and PA seats.

The DRO of Hyderabad, who has now four districts under him including three new districts, was replaced hours before the announcement of election schedule.

The district has three NA seats and six PA seats. Until 2005 the districts of Tando Allahyar, Matiari and Tando Mohammad Khan were part of Hyderabad. They were made separate districts before last local bodies elections in April 2005.

Except for Tando Mohammad Khan, which has its separate RO, the ROs of Matiari and Tando Allahyar will receive and process candidatures in Hyderabad district as usual.

Hyderabad has NA-219, NA-220, NA-221, PS-45, 46, 47, 48, 49 and 50; Matiari has NA-218, PS43 and 44; Tando Allahyar has NA-223, PS-51 and PS-52 and Tando Mohammad Khan has NA-222, PS-53 and 54. Likewise, Dadu has NA-231, PS-71, 72 and 73.

In Larkana, Ghinwa Bhutto, Nisar Khuhro and Dr Khalid Mehmood Soomro were among the 18 candidates who obtained nomination papers from the fourth additional sessions judge and the second additional sessions judge, the ROs for NA-204, NA-205, PS-36 and PS-41. Not a single nomination paper was obtained in Qambar-Shahdadkot district.

In Jacobabad, former speaker National Assembly Illahi Bux Soomro, Haji Azizullah Brohi, former MNA Dr A.G. Ansari, Abdul Razzaq Khokhar and Srichand Bhawnani obtained papers for NA-208 and Ghulam Mohammad Shahlani, Dr Saleem Thaheem, Rafiq Ahmed Brohi, Zulfiqar Ali Umrani, Haji Azizullah Brohi, Abdul Razzaq Khokhar, Srichand Bhawnani and Aziz Abro obtained nomination papers for PS-14 and PS-13.

In Dadu, PPP’s Saeed Ahmed Jamali, Zubair Ahmed Jamali and MQM’s Hussain Bux Solangi and Ali Anwar Sahar obtained forms for NA-232 and NA-233 and Pir Mujeeb, DBA president Shafi Mohammad Memon and tribal chief Ghulam Ali Shahani collected forms for PS-74 (Dadu), while Sartaj Leghari of PML-Q obtained form for PS-75 (Johi).

In Shikarpur, 20 nomination papers for PS-9, PS-10 (Lakhi), PS-11 (Shikarpur), NA-202 (Shikarpur-Khanpur) and NA-203 (Garhi Yasin-Lakhi) constituencies were issued to candidates.

About 25 candidates in Nawabshah have so far collected nomination forms for different seats. They include former MPA Syed Ali Ahmed Shah, former MPA Jam Tamachi Unnar, Azra Unnar, Changez Khan Unnar, Sikander Hayat Rind, Haji Riaz Zardari, Mian Khan Rind, Ghani Rind, Ashiq Hussain Dahiri, Syed Fasih Ahmed Shah and Syed Fahad Shah.