LAHORE: The Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) issued on Tuesday the list of candidates for city constituencies (14 NA and 29 PP), drawing candidates predominantly from the Jamaat-i-Islami (JI).

The list includes JI stalwarts like Liaqat Baloch, Farid Paracha, Hafiz Suleman Butt, Amirul Azim and Ihsan Ullah Waqas. All of them are old hands in city electoral politics and have contested many elections in the last few decades.

Out of total city 44 constituencies, only one (PA-169) has been left vacant. The list makes interesting reading as seven NA constituencies go to the JI. Similarly, for the PP candidates, the ratio is evenly balanced with 15 out of 29 belonging to the JI.

“It looks more of the JI list because the Jamaat had strong candidates in the city,” says a party leader.

“Like, Liaqat Baloch has been an MNA for four times. Hafiz Suleman Butt was elected for three times, Farid Paracha served the National Assembly once. Ihsan Ullah Waqas and Chaudhry Shaukat have served Punjab Assembly once each. So, the list looks predominantly Jamaat’s but still 50 per cent of the candidates have come from other component parties. In the end, they all belong to the MMA, not to their individual parties.”

The list also includes two female candidates - Anila Mahmood (NA-134) and Zar Afshan Farheen (PA-168), who would bring some gender balance to the list.

“Finalising list for Lahore and even Punjab is easier because there is not much trouble here. The issue is with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan as both major components – the JUI-F and the JI – have a number of strong candidates there,” says a party worker who was involved in the process. The alliance may soon be announcing candidates for other Punjab constituencies soon. However, the trouble is lingering in other federating units.

Published in Dawn, June 27th, 2018