LAHORE, Aug 23: The Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) has issued a list of its candidates for October elections.
Speaking at a press conference here on Friday, MMA deputy secretary-general Liaquat Baloch said that MMAs leaders in a meeting at Islamabad had unanimously issued the list of the candidates.
He said that a written oath was also taken from the candidates to surrender their seats if the MMA asked them in order to seek electoral adjustment. He said that the Jamaat-i-Islami was not seeking any separate electoral symbol. He said that all its candidates would contest on its electoral symbol “book”.
The break-up of the number of candidates from all provinces for the National Assembly is as: candidates on 117 has been nominated out of 148 seats in the Punjab, 45 out of 61 seats in Sindh, all 35 seats in the NWFP, 14 in Balochistan and 12 of the tribal areas, respectively.
For provincial assemblies: candidates have been nominated on 193 out of 297 seats in the Punjab, 100 out of 103 seats in Sindh, 90 out of 99 seats in the NWFP and 40 out of 51 seats in Balochistan.
The MMA also nominated candidates on 45 out of 60 women seats. Of these, candidates have been nominated on 25 out of 35 seats in the Punjab, 10 out of 14 seats in Sindh, two out of three seats in Balochistan and on all eight seats in the NWFP. The MMA also nominated candidates on eight out of 10 minority seats in the country.
MMA leaders Qazi Hussain Ahmed will contest from NA-5 and 34, Maulana Fazlur Rehman from NA-24 and 25, Sajid Ali Naqvi from NA-56.
Mr Baloch said that Samiul Haq and Sajid Mir would contest for the senate elections. Maulana Shah Ahmed Noorani might not contest for the National Assembly elections, however, two seats were reserved for him in Karachi and Hyderabad, he said.
He said that a three-day rail journey from Aug 28 would be arranged for the MMA leaders in connection to the election campaign to address people on different rail stops at Jehlam, Lala Musa, Wazirabad, Gujranawala, Lahore, Raiwind, Pattoki, Okara, Sahiwal, Cheecha Watan, Mian Channu, Multan Lodhran, Bahawalpur, Khanpur, Rahim Yar Khan, Sadiqabad, Mehrab Pur, Nawab Shah, Shahdad Pur, Tandu Adam and Karachi.
Mr Baloch said all options were open to the MMA to seek an electoral adjustment with any of political party including the PML (N&Q) or the PPP. He said the MMA was formulated on the permanent basis.
He said alleged the government for pre-poll rigging through government officials. He rejected the constitutional amendments, saying that these would not let democracy grow.
Mr Baloch said the MMA would not allow the government to postpone the elections on any pretext. He urged the government to release all political workers before the elections so that they could participate in political activities. He also demanded lifting of a ban on political activities.