ISLAMABAD, March 3 The Pakistan People's Party is set to emerge as the single largest party in the upper house of parliament after the completion of the Senate election process on Wednesday.

Eleven candidates each from Sindh and Punjab, seven on general seats from the NWFP and one from Islamabad have already been elected unopposed.

Secretary Election Commission Kanwar Dilshad told Dawn that Dr Saeeda Iqbal of PPP was elected unopposed on a reserved seat for women, after Tahira Latif of the PML-Q retired from the race on Tuesday.

He said the elections would now be held on 19 seats - 11 from Balochistan, four from Fata and four reserved seats.

He said the National Assembly would meet today on Wednesday at 9am with the Chief Election Commissioner Justice (retd) Qazi Mohammad Farooq in the chair to elect four Senators from Fata. He said only the Fata legislators would cast votes in the election. He said the provincial election commissioners would preside over sessions of the NWFP and Balochistan assemblies. He said election for one National Assembly seat from Fata was yet to be held, adding that 11 lawmakers would cast their votes.

He said 27 candidates were in the run for 11 seats from Balochistan and 34 candidates were contesting for four Fata seats. He said four candidates were contesting for two seats reserved for women in the NWFP and four others were in the run for the reserved seats for ulema and technocrats.

The candidates for seven general seats from Balochistan include Mir Mohammad Ali (BNP-A), Khudai Dad Khan (ANP), Malik Mohammad Yar Khan (ANP), Maulana Mohammad Khan Sherani (JUI-F), Hafiz Hamdullah Saboor (JUI-F), Mir Hasil Khan Bizenjo (NP), Nawabzada Mir Haji Lashkari Raisani (PPP), Sabir Ali Baloch (PPP), Aurangzeb Alamgir Magsi (PPP), Sardar Tahir Hussain Khan Advocate (PPP), Haji Abdullah Musazai (PPP), and Naseebullah Achakzai (PML-Q). Independent candidates are Sardar Fateh Mohammad Hassani, Sheikh Zahid Jan, Izhar Khan Khosa, Sardar Abdul Rehman Khetran, Nawabzada Mohammad Akbar Magsi, Mir Shahiq Khan Domki, Haider Khan Nasir, Mir Wali Mohammad Badini, Mir Changez Khan Jamali, Mohammad Asadullah Khan and Mohammad Usman Badini.

For the two seats reserved for women in Balochistan, the candidates are Rehana Javed (ANP), Farida Kakar (ANP), Kalsoom Perveen (PML), Bibi Salma (JUI-F), Agha Pari Gul Syeda (PML), Roshan Khursheed Bharocha (PML), Suriya Amiruddin (PPP), Hina (PPP), Samina (BNP-A). Independent candidates from Balochistan are Farah Shah, Salma Saeed, Kauser Naheed.

For two seats reserved for ulema and technocrats, the contesting candidates are Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri (JUI-F), Saeed Ahmed (BNP), Noor Jahan Panezai (PML), Mian Saifullah Paracha (PPP), Malik Mumtaz Hussain Mahfooz (PPP), and Independent candidates Mohammad Hamayun Khan and Basant Lal Gulshan.

From NWFP, four candidates including Farah Aqil (ANP), Farhat Abbas (PPPP), Anisa Zeb Tahirkheli (PPP-S) and Shahida Begum (JUI-F) are in the run for two seats reserved for women with five candidates Ali Gohar Khan and Abdul Jamil Khan (Independent), Iqbal Zafar Jhagra (PML-N), Afrasiab Khattak (ANP) and Syed Sardar Hussain to contest on two seats reserved for ulema and technocrats.

From Fata, 34 candidates are in the run for four seats. They are Malik Rashid Ahmed Khan, Bismillah Khan, Prof (retd) Abdul Ghaffar Khan Ghafoor, Haji Khan, Haji Gul Afridi, Halibur Rehamn, Habib Malik Orakzai, Dr Syed Javed Hassain, Dr Abdul Qadir, Dr Mohammad Iftikhar Zafar, Syed Fazal Abbas Mian, Syed Mohammad Jawad, Syed Mohammad Hussain, Shah Jee Gul, Shoaib Hassan, Sahibzada Abdul Salam Sherani, Zafar Khan Afridi, Abbas Khan, Abdul Malik Qadri, Abdul Wadood, Irfanullah, Ghulam Haider Wazir, Ghulam Mohammad Sadiq, Fakharuz Zaman Khan, Farhad Shabab Afridi, Qismat Khan Wazir, Laiq Hussain Turi, Mohammad Ihsanullah, Mohammad Idrees Khan Safi, Mohammad Soaib, Maulana Shamsur Rehman, Nasir Khan, Nawabzada Mohammad Shah and Hidayatullah.