From Zeeshan Mirza
KARACHI: The Awami National Party (ANP) on Friday announced the withdrawal of its candidate for the upcoming elections in NA-242 Karachi in favour of PML-N’s President and former prime minister Shehbaz Sharif.
The ANP had fielded Arshad Sohaill, but the party withdrew his candidacy after talks with the PML-N.
The development comes after PML-N delegation held a meeting with ANP Sindh chief Shahi Syed at his residence in Karachi. Meanwhile, NA-242 remains the point of contention after both PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif and MQM-P Senior Deputy Convener Mustafa Kamal filed nomination papers for the constituency Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) on Thursday released the final list of party candidates for National Assembly seats from Karachi. MQM-P has decided against fielding candidates in 15 constituencies – five national and 10 provincial – of Karachi to accommodate the allied parties, mainly the PML-N.
In a statement released by party yesterday, Khalid Maqbool said that Mustafa Kamal will be MQM-P’s candidate from NA-242 – the constituency from where PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif is also contesting general elections. “All reports regarding seat adjustment with PML-N on NA-242 seat are baseless,” he clarified. Siddiqui’s clarification came after it emerged that Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N have agreed over seat adjustment on Karachi’s NA-242 seat.
