A total of 26 candidates are in run for 12 seats of Senate, Upper House, of the Parliament from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. Half of 100-member Senate on completion of six years is retiring on March 11, 2012, and elections on the seats falling vacant are scheduled on March 2. All provinces will elect 12 Senators each. They are included 7 Senators on general seats, two technocrats, two women reserved and one minority member.
Those who had withdrawn nominations from general seats were included Mian Iftikhar Hussein, Tajuddin Khan (ANP), Asif Karim (PML-N) and Shamroz Khan Jadoon of PPP. With the withdrawal of candidatures now there are 13 candidates on seven general seats, six candidates on two seats reserved for technocrats, four for two seats reserved for women and two for one reserved seat for minorities.
The provinces are electing one Senator each for first time from minorities, as earlier there was no representation of minorities on the Upper House of the Parliament. The minorities have been given representation in Senate under 18th Constitutional Amendment.
The candidates contesting on general seats are included president, ANP Sindh, Shahi Said, father of chief minister Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Mohammad Azam Khan Hoti, Baz Mohammad Khan of ANP, Ahmad Hassan Khan and Saifullah Khan Bangash PPP, Mohammad Talha Mehmood, Jalil Jan, Ashraf Ali (JUI-F), Nisar Mohammad (PML-N), Syed Qasim Shah (PML-Q), Mohammad Ali Saif, Mohammad Ali Khan and Shah Faisal (Independents).
The candidates vying on two seats reserved for technocrats are included spokesman of President Asif Ali Zardari, Farhatullah Babar (PPP), Ilyas Ahmad Bilour (ANP), Maulana Rahat Hussein (JUI-F), Iqbal Zafar Jhagra (PML-N) and Mohammad Ali Saif and Itikhab Khan (Independents).
On women reserved seats PPP fielded Robina Khalid, the widow of late Khalid Rauf while ANP awarded ticket to Zahida Khan, daughter of a martyred party leader from Dir while Naeema Kishwar is contesting on the ticket of JUI-F and Tahira Bokhari as independent candidate. On seat reserved for minority, the ANP candidate, Amerjeet Malhotra will face Independent Gul Zar Lal Singh.
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