The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has revealed its list of candidates for national and provincial assemblies in Karachi, featuring notable decisions and a withdrawal from NA-242 by party president Shehbaz Sharif.
The unexpected move to withdraw Shehbaz Sharif’s candidature from NA-242 resulted from the PML-N’s failure to reach a seat adjustment deal with the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P). Instead, Khawaja Shoaib, a covering candidate, will now contest on behalf of the PML-N in NA-242.
Kheeal Das Kohistani, a PML-N leader in Sindh, stated that there was no seat adjustment with MQM-P. He revealed that the PML-N would form a joint front in Sindh with the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) and the Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA), an alliance dominated by the PML-F.
The controversy arose due to MQM-P’s stance that Mustafa Kamal, the party’s senior deputy convenor, would contest from NA-242 and would not step aside for Shehbaz Sharif.
Earlier in November, PML-N and MQM-P had agreed to a seat adjustment and even reached an agreement on the issue of strong local governments in Pakistan.
Below are the names of PML-N’s National Assembly candidates for Karachi, indicating the party’s aspirations for at least three seats in the megacity:
- NA-229 Malir I: Qadir Bux Kalmati
- NA-230 Malir II: Muzaffar Ali Shujra
- NA-231 Malir III: Capt Jamil Khan
- NA-232 Korangi I: Shah Owais Noorani
- NA-233 Korangi II: Zainul Abdin Ansari
- NA-234 Korangi III: Saleem Zia
- NA-235 Karachi East: Haji Sharafat
- NA-236 Karachi East II: Parveen Bashir
- NA-238 Karachi East IV: Sidrtul Muntaha
- NA-240 Karachi South II: Sakeena Anwar
- NA-241 Karachi South II: Rozeena Anwar
- NA-242 Kemari I: Khawaja Shoaib
- NA-243 Kemari II: Akhtar Jadoon
- NA-244 Karachi West I: Ghulam Rasool Shah
- NA-245 Karachi West II: Muhammad Saleem
- NA-247 Karachi Central I: Naheed Parveen Advocate
- NA-249 Karachi Central II: Ansab Raza Fatima
- NA-250 Karachi Central IV: Furqan Ali
Analysts believe that the PML-N, with three-time Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif aiming for a record fourth term, has strategically chosen candidates to target at least three seats in Karachi.
