KARACHI: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement
(MQM) Wednesday struck an understanding on seat adjustment for the
Senate elections in Sindh under a set formula.
After the
consensus achieved between the parties, two out of nine PPP candidates
will backpedal in support of the MQM candidate.
Seven out of 12 Senate seats will go to the PPP, four to the Muttahida and one to Pakistan Muslim League-Functional (PML-F).
In
the first phase, Dr. Kareem Khwaja withdrew his nomination papers filed
for technocrat seat. In the second phase, another PPP candidates Rashid
Rabbani and either Sahar Kamran or Shahida Rehmani contesting on women
seat will quit their candidacy.
The PPP has kicked the
negotiations in full gear for Ghaffar Qureshi of Like-Minded Group to
renounce his candidature so that all candidates of the coalition parties
could be elected unopposed.
The allies’ candidate will win even
if Qureshi does not capitulate, as his group has only four seats,
while, at least 21 votes are required for the success of a candidate.
According
to the drawn up formula, Dr Abdul Hafeez Sheikh of PPP will have
technocrat seat, Haram Ram Kashori Lal minority seat, Ajiz Dhamra, Saeed
Ghani, Dr. Kareem Khwaja and Mian Raza Rabbani will be elected on
general seats.
Meantime, woman seat will go to either Sahar
Kamran or Shahida Rehmani. A general seat has been doled out to the
PML-F’s Muzaffar Hussain Shah.
The seats given to the MQM will
have Barrister Farogh Naseem on technocrat seat, Nasreen Jalil on women
seat and Mustafa Kamal and Kanwar Naveed Jamil on general seats. Online
