No unopposed Senate elections due to PML-F

Karachi
With eight candidates left in the run for seven general seats in the Senate polls, a Pakistan Muslim League-Functional (PML-F) member has frustrated the shared dream of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) of an uncontested election in Sindh. The PML-F’s Imamuddin Shoqeen is the only hurdle in the unopposed polls.
According to sources, the PPP and the MQM have reached an understanding, and because of the PML-F, the Senate elections in Sindh would have to be conducted.
Sources said the PML-F, which has 11 seats in the Sindh Assembly, was demanding a seat in the Upper House of the Parliament, but both the PPP and the MQM had refused to accept the demand.
Twenty-one votes from the provincial assembly are required to win a general seat in the Senate. While the MQM, which has over 50 members in the House, is in a comfortable position to win both the seats, it seems that the PPP might lose one.
Efforts for uncontested polls would continue until the last moment. While the last date for withdrawal has passed, any candidate could retire 72 hours before the elections scheduled for March 5.
On the women’s seats, Nighat Mirza of the MQM and Sassui Palijo have been elected unopposed, while Khushbakht Shujaat, Seema Zareen, Tehseen Mashkoor and Shama Mithani have withdrawn their candidatures in support of Nighat and Sassui.
On the technocrat/ulema seats, Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif of the MQM and Farooq H Naek of the PPP have also been elected unopposed, while Abdul Qadir Khanzada has retired in favour of Naek and the PPP’s Rehman Malik has withdrawn in favour of Saif. However, Malik would contest for a general seat.
The announcement that candidates on the technocrat and women’s seats were elected unopposed was made by returning officer Syed Muhammad Qadri.
Now the race for the Upper House is between eight candidates: the PPP’s Salim Mandviwala, Rehman Malik, Gian Chand, Abdul Lateef Ansari and Islamuddin Sheikh; the MQM’s Khushbakht Shujaat and Mian Ateeq and the PML-F’s Imamuddin Shoqeen.
For the remaining seven general seats, voting will start in the Sindh Assembly building at 9am and continue until 4pm. Two Nawaz League MPAs Liaquat Ali Jatoi and Arbab Ghulam Rahim are out of the country and their chances of return are minimal.
Of the 168 assembly members, one MPA has been given stay, though resignations of four Tehreek-e-Insaf MPAs have yet to be accepted, but according to the party’s policy, they would not cast vote except for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where the party would contest the Senate elections, according to the party’s resigned MPA Khurram Sher Zaman.
It seems that 161 members would use their right of franchise.
Syed Zafar Ali Shah took back his nomination papers on Friday and PML-F candidate Faqir Muhammad Bakhsh Khaskheli decided to withdraw his nomination paper on Thursday. Both have filed their papers for the general seats.
Abdul Rehman Malik told the media outside the provincial election commission office on Saturday that the PPP and the MQM had started a new political journey.
He said the role of PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari and MQM chief Altaf Hussain for democracy was unprecedented.
The PPP and the PML-F would fight for a general seat but the MQM would easily win the two others, he added.