ISLAMABAD, Oct 31: The Pakistan Muslim League (Q) bagged the highest number of seats reserved for women with a tally of 22, followed by PPP which ended up with 15 and MMA which secured 12.

The Election Commission has not yet declared the results of ten seats reserved for minorities, saying these would be notified later as there was a tie between two political parties — the National Alliance and Muttahida Qaumi Movement — each of whom has won thirteen seats.

The EC said it had issued notices to both the parties to attend its office on Nov 1, so that lots might be drawn for deciding which party should get the last one seat reserved for non-Muslims in the national assembly.

From Punjab, which has a share of 35 out of the total 60 seats reserved for women in the national assembly, the PML-Q, whose strength was bolstered by joining of its ranks by 18 independents, bagged 19 seats. The party also notched up one seat each from the rest of the three provinces.

The Pakistan People’s Party won 15 seats — nine from Punjab, and six from Sindh.

The MMA secured 12 seats — seven from the NWFP, one from Punjab, two from Sindh and two from Balochistan.

The PML-N, which had been voted into power with a massive mandate in the last elections, got only three seats from Punjab. The MQM and National Alliance bagged three seats each. The PML(J) and PML(F) also won one seat each.

Some political personalities, who could not make to the national assembly for a variety of reasons, would now be represented by their wives and daughters in the assembly.

Zaib Gohar Ayub, wife of Gohar Ayub Khan, who himself could not contest election for being a non-graduate, has been elected an MNA from the NWFP seats.

Umer Ayub, son of Gohar Ayub, has also been elected on a general seat, making it a unique occasion when mother and son would jointly attend the house.

Originally, Nizhat Islam from Kohat was nominated by PML-Q but Gohar Ayub, an important party leader, managed to get the list changed.

The EC has also notified Sumera Malik, granddaughter of Nawab of Kalabagh, Amir Mohammad Khan, as winner despite the fact that she has been elected on a general seat.

The Commission also declared Zubeda Jalal as winner from Balochistan despite the fact that she had been elected on a general seat as independent. She later joined PML-Q.

Ayla Malik, another granddaughter of Nawab of Kalabagh and niece of Farooq Leghari, has been elected as MNA.

TV compere, Tariq Aziz, would be represented by his wife, Dr Hajra Tariq Aziz.

The principal secretary to the President Pervez Musharraf, Tariq Aziz, who has been accused of heading the government team which “manipulated the election results to the advantage of PML-Q,” has sent his daughter, Donya Aziz, to the national assembly.

Naheed Khan, political secretary to the former prime minister, Benazir Bhutto, has been elected as MNA from Punjab, along with party workers Begum Hasnain, Mrs Shakila Khanam, Fauzia Habib, Mehreen Anwar Raja, daughter of Raja Muhammad Anwar advocate, Begum Shehnaz Sheikh, Rukhsana Bangish, Mrs Nasim Akhtar Chaudhry.

Samia Raheel Qazi, daughter of Qazi Hussain Ahmad, has also been elected an MNA from Punjab.

Maimona Javed Hashmi, daughter of Javed Hashmi and Begum Ishrat Ashraf, wife of Chaudhry Jaffar Iqbal (whose father and husband, respectively, were defeated in the general elections) made it to the national assembly. Tehmina Daultana, who, too, was defeated in the general elections, returned to the assembly on women’s seat.

Begum Rehana Aleem Mashhadi, wife of Syed Aleem-ul-Islam Naqvi, has been elected MNA from Punjab on the share of PML (Junejo).

Interestingly, the daughter of former prime minister Mohammad Khan Junejo, Fiza Junejo, has been elected MNA from Sindh on PML-Q share.

Opinion

Editorial

Digital growth
Updated 25 Apr, 2024

Digital growth

Democratising digital development will catalyse a rapid, if not immediate, improvement in human development indicators for the underserved segments of the Pakistani citizenry.
Nikah rights
25 Apr, 2024

Nikah rights

THE Supreme Court recently delivered a judgement championing the rights of women within a marriage. The ruling...
Campus crackdowns
25 Apr, 2024

Campus crackdowns

WHILE most Western governments have either been gladly facilitating Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza, or meekly...
Ties with Tehran
Updated 24 Apr, 2024

Ties with Tehran

Tomorrow, if ties between Washington and Beijing nosedive, and the US asks Pakistan to reconsider CPEC, will we comply?
Working together
24 Apr, 2024

Working together

PAKISTAN’S democracy seems adrift, and no one understands this better than our politicians. The system has gone...
Farmers’ anxiety
24 Apr, 2024

Farmers’ anxiety

WHEAT prices in Punjab have plummeted far below the minimum support price owing to a bumper harvest, reckless...