House of cards: Parties undecided over candidates

JI chief likely to be nominated for one of 12 Senate seats.

PESHAWAR:

Amid speculations over nominations and opposition huddles, senior politicians flex their muscles, vying for Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s (K-P) seats in the upcoming Senate polls. Opposition parties have had to not only quell vying factions within, but also engage in thorny negotiations to forge alliances for the elections.

Provincial bigwigs are the likely candidates from across the political spectrum for the 12 seats. Of the coalition, Jamaat-e-Islami’s chief Sirajul Haq is likely to secure a nomination for himself, along with K-P chief Professor Ibrahim. Haq will forego his provincial assembly seat once he is promoted to the Senate.

Opposition parties

Away from all deliberations, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) is the first political party to officially announce its candidates from K-P.

PPP has chosen its K-P chief Khanzada Khan, former MNA Noor Alam Khan—one of the richest lawmakers in the previous National Assembly—and the party’s provincial general secretary Humayun Khan.

Still unconfirmed, Awami National Party (ANP) is likely to award Abdul Nabi Bangash and Naveed Anjum the Upper House tickets.

However, chances for both ANP and PPP rest substantially on the nominations of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N)—their allies in the provincial legislature.

Both JUI-F and PML-N will have to forego a berth each in order to accommodate ANP and PPP in the Senate.

Sources say JUI-F is unwilling to let go of a seat. On the contrary, ANP parliamentary leader Sardar Hussain Babak told The Express Tribune the opposition has decided to keep the alliance intact for the polls, adding negotiations over names will take their time.

Potentials

JUI-F is likely to nominate K-P chief Maulana Gul Naseeb Khan, Maulana Attaur Rehman, Haji Ghulam Ali and Maulana Shujaul Mulk. Amidst internal jostling between Ali and Naseeb Khan over the general seat, the party is yet to decide upon the modalities of its alliance.

PML-N also seems in a fix over its general seat nomination. Party insiders told The Express Tribune K-P chief Pir Sabir Shah, Central General Secretary Iqbal Zafar Jhagra and Salim Saifullah are the party’s likely bets for the Upper House, adding party supremo PM Nawaz Sharif will call the shots soon. Another party stalwart Amir Muqam did not even request the party for the ticket, reportedly.

Qaumi Watan Party also remains undecided over its candidates. Information Secretary Tariq Khan said Justice Shah Jehan Khan and Muhammad Ghufran Khan have applied for the ticket – their applications are being reviewed by the party.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 11^th, 2015.