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By Tariq Butt
ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Yusuf Raza Gilani, who has been fielded by the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) as its joint candidate for a federal capital seat in the Senate, faces a big challenge to muster nearly a dozen-and-a-half additional votes to defeat the ruling coalition’s representative.
If the Members of the National Assembly (MNAs) vote strictly according to the party line, Gilani is obviously going to lose. However, the margin of victory for the governing alliance’s nominee is unlikely to be huge due to the electoral college numbers.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and its allies have an edge of some 15 votes over the PDM’s tally, according to the numerical strength of the two sides. The PTI has 156 votes, the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) has five MNAs, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) has seven MNAs, the Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) has three, the Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) has five MNAs and Sheikh Rashid Ahmed
25 candidates submit Senate nomination papers
With February 14 being the last day for the submission
QUETTA:
25 candidates from Balochistan have submitted their nomination papers for the upcoming Senate elections up till now, according to the Election Commission of Pakistan.
Nomination papers of Saeed Ahmed Hashmi, the founder of Balochistan Awami Party, Sajid Tareen Advocate of Balochistan National Party Mengal, Samina Ehsan of Pakistan National Party, Samina Mumtaz, Kashifa Gichki and three other candidates of BAP were submitted for the technocrat seats to Returning Officer Abdul Razzaq in the office of the provincial election commission.
Shania Khan submitted her nomination papers for the reserved women’s seat. So far, 10 candidates have filed nomination papers for general seats, four for technocrats and clerics, six for women and five for minority seats.
As many as 14 candidates filed their nomination papers, seven of them for as many general seats from Balochistan. APP/File
QUETTA: Most of the political parties contesting coming Senate elections from Balochistan completed their final lists of candidates and announced their names on Saturday.
The founder of the ruling Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) in the province, Saeed Ahmed Hashmi, was among the party candidates who were awarded party tickets. Mr Hashmi will contest Senate election for a seat reserved for technocrats as he is a mining engineer by profession. Earlier, he has remained a member of the Senate twice.
BAP secretary general Manzoor Ahmed Kakar and former home minister Mir Sarfaraz Ahmed Bugti have also succeeded in getting party ticket for the second time.
It emerged during interviews with oil smugglers that a number of them have done graduation from different varsities, including the state-run University of Balochistan. Photo courtesy Mohammad Akbar Notezai
IN BALOCHISTAN, thousands of people earn their livelihoods through illegally transporting oil or diesel from across the border. With widespread unemployment, economic activities being next to nil due to lack of industries and little involvement of the private sector in the province, even graduates from well-known varsities have turned towards smuggling. For them and those being aware of the ground realities here, the illegal transportation of oil/diesel from across the border is not smuggling but business.