Daily Times

Differences have emerged among the ranks of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) as the party has finalised the names of its candidates for National and Sindh Assemblies from Karachi, a private TV channel reported on Friday.

Former Opposition Leader in Sindh Assembly Khawaja Izharul Hassan has not been awarded the MQM-P ticket despite submitting nomination papers from four constituencies.

Sources privy to the development said that Khawaja Izharul Hassan has suspended his political activities.

The former leader of opposition in Sindh Assembly was offered the party ticket from PS-123 but he turned it down. He wanted to contest the election from any other provincial constituency.

“Convener [Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui] is the party’s candidate from PS 123. How can I contest the election from the same constituency?” Khawaja Izharul Hassan said.

More major changes were made in the MQM-P’s list for the candidates, as former Provincial Minister Muhammad Hussain Khan also could not get the party ticket.

Former MNA Abu Bakar, who was being considered to contest for a National Assembly seat, will now be vying for the provincial seat PS-91.

The MQM-P’s ex-parliamentary leader in Sindh Assembly Ali Khursidi got the party ticket while former MPAs Abbas Jafri and Sadaqat Hussain could not get the same.

Earlier, the MQM-P announced its National Assembly candidates from Karachi’s 19 constituencies including NA-242.

MQM-P nominees for National Assembly from Karachi

A day earlier, MQM-P released the final list of party candidates for National Assembly seats from Karachi.

MQM-Pakistan has named Mustafa Kamal as its candidate for National Assembly seat NA-242 from Kemari district as party refused to withdraw its candidate in favour of Shehbaz Sharif.

The candidates: NA-232 Aasia Ishaque, NA-233 Javed Hanif, NA-234 Muhammad Abu Bakar, NA-235 Iqbal Mehsud, NA-236 Hassan Sabir, NA-237 Rauf Siddiqui, NA-238 Sadiq Iftikhar, NA-240 Arshad Vohra, NA-241 and NA-244 Dr Farooq Sattar, NA-242 and NA-247 Mustafa Kamal, NA-243 Humayun Usman, NA-245 Syed Hafeezuddin, NA-246 Syed Aminul Haque, NA-248 Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, NA-249 Ahmed Saleem Siddiqui and NA-250 Farhan Chishti.

MQM-P nominees for Sindh Assembly from Karachi

The party also announced its candidates for provincial assembly seats from Karachi. The nominees included Hamiduz Zafar from PS-89, Shariq Jamal from PS-90, Ali Khurshidi from PS-119,Naseer Ahmed from PS-118, Taha Ahmed from PS-128, Muhammad Raheel from PS-116, Shabbir Qaimkhani from PS-96.