Fida Hussnain Lahore
The Pakistan People’s Party gave a green signal to the senior party leaders for their nominations ahead of fast approaching Senate elections, the sources close to the development said on Friday.
“Nadeem Afzal Chan, Syed Hassan Murtaza and Nawaz Shahbaz Ali Khan will be the candidates from Punjab,” said the sources.
They said that former Senate Chairman Raza Rabbani and party’s Secretary General Nayyar Bukhari would also be brought to the Senate.
“Syed Hassan Murtaza has been directed to submit his papers for the Senate from Islamabad,” said the sources, pointing out that Bilawal Bhutto gave these directions.
The PPP, they said, also sought a general seat from the Pakistan Muslim League-N from Punjab.
“A special committee constituted by the PPP will call on the PML-N leadership in Lahore on Saturday,” said the sources.
Whereas 12 vacant seats of the Senate in Sindh are concerned, the PPP, according to the sources, decided to nominate candidates on all seats.
Sarmad Ali and Barrister Zameer Ghumro, they said, were nominated by the PPP for the Technocrat seats.
Ainee Mari and Rubina Qaimkhani are also likely to represent the PPP as Senators on the women’s reserved seats, with Ponjo Mall Bhel designated as the party’s candidate for the minority seat. Masoor Ahsan, Sarfaraz Rajjar, Ashraf Jatoi, Kazim Shah and Dost Ali Jaiser were chosen as PPP candidates for the general seats of the Senate.
In a related development, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari formed a 4-member committee for negotiations with the other political parties regarding the Senate elections.
The committee included Raja Pervez Ashraf, Syed Hasan Murtaza, Nadim Afzal Chan and Ali Haider Gilani.
