KARACHI: The scrutiny of candidates for 11 senate seats from Sindh began on Thursday at the Election Commission secretariat.

Provincial election commissioner Syed Mohammed Tariq Quaderi, also the returning officer in Sindh for the senate seats election, supervised the proceedings.

On Thursday, the first day of scrutiny, 27 of the 28 nomination papers filed by candidates belonging to the Pakistan Peoples Party, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement and the Pakistan Muslim League-Functional were considered.

The nomination papers filed by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz candidate Syed Zafar Ali Shah could not be taken up for lack of time.

Except for five nomination papers requiring clearance certificates either from the State Bank or the income tax department or a utility agency, all candidates’ papers were accepted.

Islamuddin Sheikh and Abdul Latif Ansari of the PPP and Mohammed Atique of the MQM were told to furnish no-demand certificates from the State Bank. Seemin Zareen was directed to submit an income tax return certificate, and Tehseen Mashkoor Abidi was told to clear and submit utility bills.

The candidates whose nomination papers were accepted included (PPP) Abdul Rehman Malik( two nominations), Farooq H. Naek, Saleem Mandviwalla, Sassui Palijo, Sarfraz Rajar, Dost Ali Jessar, Engineer Gayanchand while Shama Mithani, who also belongs to the PPP but did not attach the party ticket.

From the MQM: Babar Khan Ghauri, Waseem Akhtar, Khushbakht Shujaat, Nighat Mirza, Barrister Mohammed Ali Saif, Syed Aminul Haque, Syed Mohammed Raza Zaidi, Abdul Quadir Khanzada and Gulfraz Khan Khattak. From the PML-F: Imamuddin Shoqeen and Faqir Mohammed Khaskheli.

Published in Dawn, February 20th, 2015

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