Senate nominations - Ex-PM Kakar, Mohsin Naqvi spring a surprise
Pakistan
Senate election will held on April 2 in National, four provincial assemblies and Senate
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) - Several unexpected names have come to the fore for the upcoming Senate elections.
As Saturday was the last day for submission of the nomination papers for the Senate slots, former caretaker prime minister Anwaarul Haq submitted his papers.
Former caretaker Punjab chief minister Mohsin Naqvi also submitted his nomination papers as an independent candidate. Mohsin Naqvi is serving as the federal interior minister.
The Senate election on 48 seats will held in the National Assembly, Senate and four provincial assemblies on April 2.
It will encompass 12 seats each from Punjab and Sindh, 11 seats each from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, as well as two seats for Islamabad.
The election will be conducted for seven general seats in each province, along with two technocrat and two women seats.
The Senate election is held every three years when one-half of the members of the upper house retire after completion of their tenure. However, the term of a senator is six years.
Also read: ECP issues the schedule for Senate election
PML-N
Sources said Ishaq Dar, a senior leader of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), submitted his nomination papers for Senate’s technocrat seat from Islamabad.
Meanwhile, Pervez Rashid, Nasir Butt and Talal Chaudhry also have been directed to submit their nomination papers.
Read more: Nomination papers' submissions for Senate election kicks off
PTI
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has decided to nominate its candidates for Senate elections. Dr Yasmin Rashid will vie for technocrat seat and Sanam Javed contest for women's reserved seat in Senate.
Hamid Khan and Zulfi Bukhari are the key contenders on Senate general seats from Punjab.
Omar Sarfarz Cheema and retired Col Ijaz Minhas have been nominated as covering candidates.
Abdul Wahab Baloch of PTI will vie from Sindh for Senate election. Azam Swati and Syed Arshad Hussain have submitted their nomination papers for Senate technocrat seat from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Meanwhile, Irfan Saleem, Faisal Javed, Mirza Muhammad Afridi, Khurram Zeeshan, and Azhar Mashwani are set to contest for general seats.
KP Election Commissioner Muhammad Talha Mehmood Khan has announced that 50 candidates have filed their nomination papers.
PPP
The Pakistan Peoples Party has made alliance with National Party and Awami National Party (ANP) in Balochistan for Senate election. The PPP has fielded joint candidate Aimal Wali Khan from ANP and Jan Buledi from NP.
Kiran Baloch and Ishrat Brohi have been nominated for women reserved seat from Balochistan. Bilal Mandokhail and Tariq Mansoori will vie for technocrat seat.
Kazim Shah, Ashraf Jatoi, Masroor Ahsan, Nadeem Bhutto, Sarfraz Rajar, Dost Ali and Masroor Ahsan will be the party candidates for the general seats from Sindh. Barrister Zamir Ghumro and Sarmad Ali will be the candidates for the technocrat seats.
From Sindh, Anny Marri and Rubina Qaimkhani will contest for the women seats. Panchobhel’s name had been finalised for the minority seats.
Rubina Khalid from KP and Faiza Malik from Punjab have been nominated by PPP. Rana Mehmoodul Hassan is PPP’s candidate for Senate seat for Islamabad.
The party has issued tickets to Mir Changez Jamali, Sardar Umar, Ijaz Ahmad Baloch, and Haji Mir Lal Muhammad Jattak for the general seats.
MQM
From MQM, Najeeb Haroon, Amir Chishti and Rauf Siddiqi have submitted their nomination papers for Senate election. Faisal Vawda, former senator and federal minister, has also submitted his nomination papers as an independent candidate.
