PPP announces contestants for Senate polls

KARACHI: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Secretary General Raja Pervaiz Ashraf formally announced PPP’s contestants for the elections of the Senate to be held on March 3.
PPP Vice President Sherry Rehman, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) President Khanzada Khan, Sindh Minister Jam Mehtab Hussain Dahar, Senator Saeed Ghani, Bilawal House Spokesperson Jameel Soomro, Sindh Chief Minister’s Coordinator Waqar Mehdi and Special Assistant Rashid Hussain Rabbani had flanked the Parliamentary Board General Secretary Raja Pervez Ashraf.
Former chairman of the Senate Farooq H Naek would contest the Senate elections on technocrat seat while on special seat for women, former provincial minister Sassui Palejo was awarded the party ticket for the Senate.
On the general seats, Islamud Din Shaikh, Abdul Rehman Malik, Saleem Mandviwala, Engineer Gyan Chand and Abdul Lateef Ansari would contest the elections of the Senate.From Punjab, former federal minister Nadeem Afzal Chan would be the only contestant for the Senate polls.
From Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), PPP KP President Khanzada Khan and Noor Alam Khan would contest for the Senate elections on general seats while PPP KP General Secretary Humayoon Khan would be contesting elections of the Senate on seats for the technocrats.
From the Federal Area, PPP Women Wing President Nargis Faiz Malik would contest on General seat.After disclosing PPP’s contestants for the Senate, Ashraf said that PPP had 40 members in the Senate of which 21 were retiring of which 7 were from Sindh province and hence the names of the new contestants were announced to make for the retiring strength in the Senate of Pakistan. Those from Sindh, who would continue to be members of the Senate, were Senator Saeed Ghani, Senator Taj Haider, Senator Raza Rabbani, Senator Ajiz Dhamra, Senator Hari Ram, Dr Kareem Khawaja and Sahar Imran.
Senator Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan and Senator Babar Awan would continue to be the members of the Senate and from KP, Senator Farhatullah Khan Babar, Ahmad Hassan, Saifullah Bangash, Rubina Khalid, Usman Saifullah and Yousuf Brohi, Saifullah Magsi and Rozi Khan Kakar, Sardar Fateh Muhammad Hasni and Yousuf Baloch would also continue to be members of the Senate from Balochistan.
Raja Pervez Ashraf on a question replied that PPP President Makhddom Amin Fahim had been abroad for medical check-up and he was expected to return to Pakistan late Monday night and hence the names of PPP’s contestants were announced with his consultation.To another query, Ashraf said it was the prerogative of the Parliamentary Board to interview and select the final candidates for the tickets.