News
March 29, 2024
Nine Make It to Senate Unopposed
LAHORE / KARACHI: All seven candidates vying for the upper house of parliament on general seats from Punjab were elected unopposed following the withdrawal of nominations by five other candidates, apparently following a behind-the-scenes understanding among the country’s three major parties — the PML-N, PPP and PTI.
The development came on Wednesday, which was the last day for the withdrawal of nomination papers by Senate candidates for the elections scheduled to be held on April 2.
Four of those elected unopposed belong to the ruling PML-N, while two hail from PTI-Sunni Ittehad Council alliance. Besides, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, who had filed the papers as an independent candidate with PML-N and PPP backing, was also returned unopposed.
The PML-N nominees were Federal Minister Ahad Cheema, Pervaiz Rashid, Nasir Mehmood and Talal Chaudhry, whereas Majlis Wahdat Muslimeen chief Raja Nasir Abbas and PTI stalwart Hamid Khan have been elected unopposed with the backing of the PTI.
As many as 16 aspirants had initially filed nominations for seven general seats in Punjab. Of them, four were rejected, while Musadik Malik of the PML-N and Waleed Iqbal, Dr Shahzad Waseem, Omar Sarfaraz Cheema and Ijaz Minhas of the PTI withdrew their papers on Wednesday.
When contacted, PTI’s information secretary Rauf Hasan confirmed to Dawn the behind-the-scene negotiations among the parties. He said the PPP and the PML-N had approached the PTI on the issue and Imran Khan had authorized a senior party leader to hold talks. However, the spokesperson refused to divulge who the negotiator was, and expressed ignorance about the outcome of the talks.
But since PTI candidates are still in the race for reserved seats for technocrats, women and minorities, it shows that whatever understanding was reached was limited to general seats.
Three candidates will now contest for two technocrat seats after the withdrawal of papers by Mustafa Ramday. The three-way contest will feature Finance Minister Mohammad Aurangzeb and Musadik Malik of the PML-N and Dr Yasmin Rashid of the PTI.
PPP’s Faiza Ahmed, Anusha Rahman, PML-N’s Bushra Anjum and PTI’s Sanam Javed are in the race for the two women’s seats, while Khalil Tahir of PML-N and Asif Ashiq of PTI are vying for the minority seat.
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