KARACHI: On the first day of filing of nomination papers for senate election on the 11 seats from Sindh, 20 candidates filed nomination papers with the Karachi office of the Election Commission of Pakistan on Thursday.

A total of seven Pakistan Peoples Party candidates, 12 Muttahida Qaumi Movement candidates and one candidate of the Pakistan Muslim League-Functional filed their nomination papers.

A PPP candidate filed two nomination papers.

The offices of the election commission will remain open on Friday from 10am to 4pm to receive nomination papers. On Thursday, Provincial Election Commissioner S. Tariq Iqbal Quaderi received nomination papers from the candidates.

The PPP candidates, who were led by Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah and provincial ministers, were the first to file the papers. From the PPP side, eight nomination papers were filed — five for general seats and two for reserved seats. Former interior minister Rehman Malik filed two nomination papers: one for a general seat and another for a technocrat seat.

The other PPP candidates who filed nomination papers for the general seat are Islamuddin Sheikh, Saleem Mandviwalla, Abdul Latif Ansari and Engineer Gayanchand, while Farooq H. Naek filed papers for the technocrat seat and Sassui Palijo for the seat reserved for women.

From the MQM side, which is looking to get four seats — two from general seats and one each reserved for technocrats and women — 12 candidates filed their nomination papers, which included their covering candidates.

The candidates are: Waseem Akhtar, Ameenul Haque, Khushbakht Shujaat, Syed Raza Zaidi, Mian Ateeq, Nighat Mirza and Gul Fraz Khan Khattak, while Barrister Mohammed Ali Saif and Abdul Quadir Khanzada for technocrat seat and Nighat Hina, Seemin Zareen and Tehseen Mashkoor Abidi for women seat.

From the PML-F, Imamuddin Shauqeen submitted his nomination papers.

According to a revised schedule, the scrutiny of the nomination papers will be held on Feb 19 and Feb 20 while appeals against the rejection of nomination papers could be filed on Feb 23 and Feb 24 which would be disposed of by the election commission on Feb 26 and Feb 27.

The last date for the withdrawal of nomination papers and publication of the final list of candidates is Feb 28.

According to analysts, following an understanding reached between the PPP and the MQM leaderships for the senate elections, it was expected that all 11 candidates would return unopposed according to their settled formula, i.e. the PPP would get its candidates elected on seven seats while the MQM would win four senate seats.

But after the PML-F entry, the senate elections does not appear a mere show of the PPP and MQM coalition. Yet the possibility of withdrawal of the candidate could not be ruled out, especially if the ongoing contacts between the PPP and the PML-F leaderships proved successful.

Published in Dawn, February 13th, 2015

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