KARACHI, Feb 7: Five candidates withdrew their nominations for elections to the Senate on Friday, leaving 40 candidates in the field against the 22 seats from Sindh.
Those who withdrew from the contest are three women and two men. They are Salma Ahmed of the Pakistan Muslim League (F), Tahira Kaukab of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal, Farzana Hanif of the Pakistan People’s Party, Qazi Hafeezur Rahman and Mohammed Zaki Azam of the PPP. The latter two were candidates for general and technocrat seats, respectively.
After withdrawal the candidates in the run are (General Seats): Prof Saeed Siddiqui, Noman Sehgal, Ahmad Ali, Babar Khan Ghori, Muhammad Arif Khan, Rana Safdar from the Muttahida Qaumi Movement; Mian Raza Rabbani, Abdul Latif Ansari, Karim Ahmad Khwaja, Dr Safdar Abbasi, Abdullah, Muhammad Anwar Baig from the PPP; Syed Jalal Mehmood Shah and Syed Mehmood Hashmi from the National Alliance; Justice Abdul Razzaq Thaim from the PML (F); Mohammedmian Soomro and Abdul Hafeez Shaikh from the PML(Q); Deewan Muhammad Yusuf, Munir Sultan, Syed Kabir Ahmad and Muhammad Amin Dadabhai independents.
SEATS FOR WOMEN: Nighat Mirza, Naila Latif, Abida Saif and Seema Zareen from the Muttahida Qaumi Movement; Syeda Zahida Zaidi and Bibi Yasmeen Shah from the PML (Q); Maleeha Malik and Rukhsana Zuberi from the PPP; Neelofar Syed from the National Alliance and Sheerin Farooqui independent.
TECHNOCRAT/ULEMA SEATS: Farooq Naik and Nafees Ahmad Siddiqui from the PPP; Maulana Abbas Kumaili from the Muttahida Qaumi Movement; Nisar Ahmad Memon and Begum Tanveer Khalid from the PML (Q); Abdul Karim Abid from the MMA and Javed Jabbar from the National Alliance.
According to the election schedule, polling will be held in all the four provinces on Feb 24, and in FATA and the Federal Capital on Feb 27.
There are 14 general, four women and four technocrat\ Ulema seats from Sindh.
The electoral college for election to the Senate is composed of members of the provincial assembly. On the basis of the strength of the Sindh Assembly, which is 168, for election to a general seat at least 12 votes will be needed whereas to a reserved seat at least 42 votes would be required.
The following is the party position in the Sindh Assembly:
PPP - 62, Muttahida Qaumi Movement - 41, PML (Q) - 18, National Alliance - 16, PML(F) - 13, MMA - eight, PPP (Patriot) five, MMA (Patriot) two, Mohajir Qaumi Movement - one, and independents - two.