MQM files papers for four, PPP for remaining seats

Karachi
Of the 11 seats from Sindh up for grabs in the Senate elections, which have been rescheduled to March 5, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) is contesting on four and the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) on the remaining slots.
On Thursday, the first day of filing nomination papers, 22 candidates submitted their documents that were received by Sindh Election Commissioner S Tariq Iqbal Qadri at the election commission office.
MQM and PPP candidates filed their papers at the same time, indicating that an understanding between the two parties has reached the extent of reviving their old alliance under an agreed formula not only at the Senate level but, according to sources, for the Sindh government as well.
The PPP’s Farooq H Naek and Rehman Malik filed nomination papers for the technocrat seats; Sassui Palijo for a women’s seat; and Islamuddin Sheikh, Abdul Rehman Malik, Salim Mandviwala, Abdul Latif Ansari and Engr Giyanchand for general seats.
On behalf of the MQM, nomination papers were filed by Khushbakht Shujaat, Tehseen Abidi, Nighat Hina Mirza, Seema Baji, Gulfaraz Khattak, Mian Ateeq, Amin-ul-Haq, Raza Zaidi, Abdul Qadir Khanzada, Barrister Saif and Waseem Akhter.
Both parties have reached a seat-adjustment agreement, according to which the MQM is contesting on four seats in the Senate polls and the PPP is fielding candidates for the remaining seven seats.
Imamuddin Shouqeen of the Functional League has also submitted his nomination papers; he is said to have the backing of the ruling Nawaz League, which has not fielded any candidate for the Senate elections.
As for the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, four of its MPAs’ resignations from the Sindh Assembly were put on hold two hours after Speaker Agha Siraj Durrani announced that their resignations had been accepted.