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ISLAMABAD, Dec 7: Three mainstream political parties, the PPP, PML (N) and PML (Q), and the Sindh-based PML (F) have awarded tickets mostly to landlords for the coming general elections, ignoring their leaders and members belonging to other calsses, reveals a survey.
On the other hand, Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s JUI (F) has preferred to award tickets to religious leaders and the Awami National Party of Asfandyar Wali Khan and the Pakistan People’s Party (S) of Aftab Ahmed Sherpao have mostly chosen businessmen.
The survey was conducted by the Free and Fair Election Network which represents the country’s 30 leading civil society organisations in 38 constituencies and 59 districts of the four provinces.
It shows that if elections are held, landlords and businessmen may again have a predominant rule in Punjab and Sindh while the NWFP and partly Balochistan will fall into the hands of big business families. Most of these candidates have been members of the National Assembly in the past.
According to the survey, 52 of 112 candidates the Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain-led PML (Q) has fielded are landlords and the PPP, led by Benazir Bhutto, has almost the same number of landlords among its 114 candidates.
Of its 96 candidates, the PML (N) has given tickets to 39 landlords. Thirteen of the 20 candidates contesting the polls on the PML (F) ticket are landlords.
The Jamaat-i-Islami of Qazi Hussain Ahmed has given tickets to landlords in seven of 54 constituencies and the JUI (F) to four of 42 constituencies. The Muttahida Qaumi Movement of Altaf Hussain has given tickets to landlords in eight constituencies out of 40.
The ANP has fielded landlords in four of 23 constituencies and its rival PPP (S) has awarded tickets to as many landlords among 17 candidates.
Except for the MQM and to some extent the Jamaat-i-Islami, other political parties have ignored the working class while choosing their candidates.
BUSINESSMEN: The ANP and the PPP (S) have each awarded tickets to businessmen in eight constituencies. The PML (N) has fielded 24 businessmen and the PPP 26. The PML (Q) has awarded tickets to 33 businessmen.
The JI has fielded businessmen as its candidates in 11 and the JUI (F) in seven constituencies. The MQM has fielded six businessmen and the PML (F) three.
WORKING CLASS: The MQM has given tickets to candidates from the working class in 23 constituencies, JI to 15 and JUI (F) to 11. The ANP has awarded tickets to seven people from the working class and the PML (F) to two. The PML (N) has fielded 22, PPP 24 and the PML (Q) 14 candidates from this class.
All mainstream national and religious political parties have given preference to their office-bearers in awarding tickets.
The PML (N) has awarded tickets to 69 office-bearers, PPP to 67, PML (Q) to 67, JI to 49 and JUI (F) to 44. The MQM has given tickets to its office-bearers in 36 constituencies, ANP in 16, the PPP (S) in 11 and the PML (F) in 17.
The only deviation from the general trend of awarding party tickets to office-bearers is by the Balochistan-based Jamhoori Watan Party, Balochistan National Movement and Balochistan National Party.
CHANGIING LOYALTY: The PML (N) has awarded tickets to 12 candidates previously associated with other parties. The PPP has fielded 11 turncoats, PML (Q) 39, PML (F) five and the JUI (F) and ANP one each. There are three candidates each from the MQM and the PPP (S) who have abandoned their parties.
