PESHAWAR, Jan 25: Seven political parties, including a wealthy group of independent candidates, have filed 54 nomination papers for the province’s 22 Senate seats.

For the 14 general seats, 29 candidates are in the race which include five independents. For the four women’s seats, 11 candidates including three independents have filed their papers.

And for the four technocrat seats, 14 contenders, including three independents, are in the race.

Gulzar Ahmed, a former PPP senator, and his son Waqar Ahmed, Allama Ramzan Tauqeer, Col (retd) Inamullah Khan and Azam Swati, a former Nazim of Mansehra, have filed for general seats. Imtiaz Hussain Gilani, a former NWFP minister and younger brother of Iftikhar Hussain Gilani, Mohammad Afzal and Syed Tanzeemul Haq Halmi have submitted their papers for the technocrats seats. Shaheen Sardar Ali, a former NWFP minister, Ayesha Mumtaz Malik and Dr Rubina Nauman have submitted nominations for the reserved seats for women.

The People’s Party Parliamentarians have allotted tickets to Sardar Ali Khan, Qamar Abbas, Farhatullah Babar, Mushtri Anwar Begum and Humayun Meraj. The PPP-S has fielded Aneesa Zeb, Shujaul Mulk and Asif Jan. The PML-Q has allotted tickets to Justice (retd) Azam Khan, Eng Fazal Hussain and Begum Fakhar-uz- Zaman.

The Awami National Party has fielded their party chief Asfandyar Wali Khan, Ilyas Bilour and Dr Kabir. The PML-N has brought a lone candidate, Mehtab Ahmed Khan Abbasi, a former chief minister, in the contest.

The ruling religious alliance, Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal, has allotted tickets to Prof Khursheed Ahmed, Dr Murad Shah, Prof Mohammad Ibrahim, Sahibzada Khalid Jan, Maulana Rahat Hussain, Syed Hidayatullah Shah, Maulana Gul Naseeb Khan, Qazi Abdul Latif, Dr Sa’ad, Maroof Shah, Maulana Obaidullah Anwar, Maulana SAmiul Haq, Abdul Wadood, Mohammad Saeed advocate,  Kausar Firdaus, Mumtaz Bibi, Nargis Manzoor and Mussarat  Mushtaq Kakakhel.

The independent group is approaching all parties and, according to some local newspapers, trying to win over candidates with generous offers.