Nov 17 by-election on vacant PA seats

KARACHI:

On November 17 by-elections will take place for two Sindh seats vacated by elected representatives who have been disqualified for holding dual nationalities. They are Pakistan Peoples Party MPA Dr Ahmed Ali Shah of Naushahro Feroze and Muttahida Qaumi Movement MNA Farhat Muhammad Khan of Karachi. They were elected to general seats.

In total, eight lawmakers in the national and provincial assemblies have been told to leave. Nadia Gabol (MQM) and Farahnaz Ispahani (PPP) were elected on seats reserved for women. Their seats do not need a by-election.

Now that they have been disqualified they will be replaced by other women party members. “Muneeza Shakir of the PPP and Rifat Khan Advocate of the MQM are likely to replace Farahnaz Isphahani and Nadia Gabol,” official sources said.

Provincial Election Commissioner Sono Khan Baloch said that they would issue nomination papers from October 8 to 10. They will be scrutinised on October 11 and 12. They can be withdrawn till October 19 and a final list would be published on October 20.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 28^th, 2012.