ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan announced on Monday that 182 candidates were in the run for election to 52 Senate seats to be held on March 5.

According to the ECP, 42 candidates are vying for four seats from the Federally Administered Tribal Areas. All but PML-N nominee Sanaullah Khan are independent candidates.

Included among them are Minister for Textiles Industry Senator Abbas Khan Afridi, former MNAs Akhundzada Chitan, Munir Khan Orakzai and Maulana Abdul Malik Wazir and Senator Malik Rasheed Ahmad Khan.

From Islamabad, Iqbal Zafar Jhagra and Chaudhry Ashraf Gujjar (PML-N), Raja Imran Ashraf (PPP) and Syed Zulfikar Ali (MQM) have filed nomination papers for a general seat and Rahila Magsi and Nargis Nasir (PML-N), Shumaila Shahab and Bisma Asif (MQM) and Nargis Faiz Malik (PPP) for a seat reserved for women.

From Punjab, 23 candidates will contest for seven general seats and two seats, one for women and the other for technocrats.

Federal Information Minister Senator Pervez Rasheed, Mushahidullah Khan, Lt Gen retired Abdul Qayyum, Chaudhry Tanvir Khan, Syed Nehal Hashmi, Saud Majeed, Khawaja Mehmood Ahmad and Saleem Zia are PML-N candidates for general seats.

Two PPP candidates and four independents are also in the field for general seats.

Najma Hameed, Ayesha Raza Farooq and Kiran Imran (PML-N) and Sarwat Malik (PPP) are vying for two women seats.

Raja Zafarul Haq and Professor Sajid Mir are PML-N nominees for two seats reserved for technocrats, including Ulema. Malik Nosher Khan Langrial (PPP) and Malik Abdul Rahman (independent) are vying for the same seats.

From Sindh, former interior minister Rehman Malik, former finance minister Saleem Mandwiwala, Islamuddin Shaikh, Abdul Latif Ansari, Gianchand and Sarfaraz Rajar (PPP), Wasim Akhtar, Gul Faraz Khan, Khushbakht Shujaat, Mrs Nighat Mirza, Raza Zaidi, Mian Ateeq Sheikh and Babar Ghauri (MQM), Imamuddin Shouqeen and Mohammad Bux (PML-F) and Zafar Ali Shah (PML-N) have filed their nomination papers for seven general seats.

Sassui Palejo and Shama Arif Mithani (PPP) and Khushbakht Shujaat, Nighat Mirza, Seema Zarmin and Mrs Tehseen Mashkoor Abidi (MQM) are candidates for two seats reserved for women.

Former law minister Farooq H. Naek and Rehman Malik (PPP) and Dr Abdul Kadir Khanzada and Mohammad Ali Khan Saif (MQM) have filed nomination papers for two seats reserved for technocrats.

From Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 17 candidates, including Jamaat-i-Islami chief Sirajul Haq, have filed papers for seven general seats. Other candidates are Waqar Ahmad Khan and Ammar Ahmad Khan (independent), Haji Mohammad Adeel (ANP), Attaur Rahman (JUI-F), Mohammad Ibrahim Khan (JI), Lt Gen retired Salahuddin Tirmizi (PML-N), Manzoor Khan (JUI-F), Khanzada Khan and Noor Alam Khan (PPP), Fazal Mohammad Khan, Shibli Faraz and Salman Hamid Afridi.

Samina Abid and Rabia Basri (PTI), Bibi Shafia (JUI-F), Shaheen (PML-N) and Fauzia Fakharuzzaman Khan and Shazia Tehmas Khan (independent) have filed papers for two seats reserved for women.

Nine candidates are in the run for two technocrat seats and four are in the field for one seat reserved for non-Muslims.

From Balochistan, 19 candidates have filed nomination papers for seven general seats and six for two seats reserved for women. Nine are in the run for two seats reserved for technocrats and eight for one seat reserved for non-Muslims.

Published in Dawn February 17th , 2015

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