KARACHI, Feb 10: Senate elections for 11 seats from Sindh dominated the scene on Friday as various political parties remained busy in finalizing names of their candidates.

Although, the Pakistan Muslim League, the Pakistan People’s Party and MMA have worked out their lists, the situation may become clear by tomorrow when parties would start filing nomination papers of their candidates. Saturday is the first day of receiving nomination papers.

The Muttahida Qaumi Movement is also expected to announce its list on Saturday.

According to the election schedule, the nomination papers will be accepted by Feb 13 while scrutiny will be held on Fib 14.

Appeals against acceptance and rejection of the nomination papers would be decided by Feb 20. Candidates can withdraw their nominations by Feb 21 and a final list would be published on Feb 22.

As the PML announced its list, analysts were surprised to see the name of former Governor of State Bank Dr Ishrat Hussain missing from the list of those awarded tickets by the ruling Pakistan Muslim League.

The PML, whose two, out of six senators, are due to retire on March 11, in the person of Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh and Mrs Tanvir Khalid, has awarded tickets to Abdul Ghaffar Qureshi, Kishamchand Perwani and Semi Siddiqui while the PML-F whose candidate Justice (retd) Razzaq Tahim is due to retire has again been nominated by the party.

Like the ruling PML-Q, according to the circles close to the two other stake-holders, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement and Pakistan Peoples party, whose four senators, out of seven members from each side in the senate would also retire on March 11, have also short-listed their candidates. But so far they have not announced their names.

The PPP and MMA are also holding talks to get back a seat earlier occupied by Maulana Shah Ahmed Noorani. The seat was lost by them in a previous by-election of the senate.

The likely MMA candidates are Owais Noorani of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Pakistan, who is son of late Shah Ahmad Noorani and Dr Khalid Mehmood Soomro of the JUI-F.

To get back the seat, the MMA needs seven votes as in the assembly its strength is of seven MPAs.

The PPP had similar position in the NWFP assembly where it needs help of MMA to get its out-going Senator Farhatullah Babar re-elected.

The MQM, in which its coordination committee is the final authority for awarding tickets, has shortlisted its probable candidates, but the decision is likely to be announced by Dr Farooq Sattar at a press conference on Saturday.

From the MQM’s side, four senators who are due to retire on March 11.

They are are: Ahmad Ali, Saeed Siddiqui, Abid Saif, and Nighat Mirza.