ANP joins hands with PPP and ST with MWM in last-minute pacts

Parties ask supporters to vote for the other candidate where they have withdrawn.

KARACHI: The Awami National Party (ANP) and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) announced on Thursday their seat-to-seat adjustment on four National Assembly seats and 11 provincial seats in Karachi.

The announcement came after a series of meetings and negotiations between the leadership of the two parties who remained allies in the previous government.

At a joint press conference with PPP Sindh general secretary Taj Haider and Syed Najmi Alam, ANP Sindh chief Shahi Syed announced they will withdraw their candidates from NA-240, NA-250 and NA-258 in favour of the PPP. The PPP has also withdrawn from NA-241 in favour of the ANP.



On provincial seats, the ANP has vacated PS-90, 92, 94, 113, 114, 126, 129 and 130 while the PPP has taken out its candidates from PS-91, 93, and 128. On Wednesday, the ANP also announced that it will withdraw its candidates from across the province, except Karachi and Hyderabad, in favour of the PPP.

MWM, PST and JUP reach electoral adjustment

Three religious parties - Majlis-e-Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM), Pakistan Sunni Tehrik (PST) and Jamiat-e-Ulema-e-Pakistan (JUP) - announced on Thursday to contest the elections under a joint strategy.

At a joint press conference held at Karachi Press Club, MWM’s Allama Sadiq Raza Taqvi, PST’s Matloob Awan Qadri and JUP’s Mustaqeem Noorani said they have decided to withdraw candidates contesting elections against the other and support a joint candidate. “We appeal to the voters to help make Pakistan a welfare state in which terrorists and fanatics are dealt with iron hands,” said Allama Taqvi.

PST had withdrawn its candidates in favour of the MWM from national assembly constituencies 250, 252, 253, 257 and 258, and provincial assembly seats, 117, 126 and 127.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 10^th, 2013.