KARACHI – Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Karachi chapter on Friday unveileda list of candidates contesting the upcoming general elections from thecity.
The list, provided by the PTI Election Cell Karachi, carried names of 17candidates for 21 NA seats in the metropolis, besides 34 candidates forprovincial assembly seats.
No names were provided for four NA seats including a seat from Lyari fromPPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto is contesting the election. There was no namein the list for NA-245 as well – the seat from where TV anchor Amir LiaqatHussain has announced his candidacy on a PTI ticket. The other two seatsfor which no name were included in the list were NA-240 and NA-241.
Speaking on the occasion, PTI Karachi chapter president Firdaus ShamimNaqvi said, “We believe we can easily take half of these seats without anyadjustment with another political party.”
According to an earlier list issued by PTI Central Secretariat, Amir Liaqatwas finalised for NA-245. The TV anchor notorious for his bigoted viewsagainst religious minorities has already begun campaigning for theelections, and election posters pitching him are present all over theconstituency. When contacted, PTI deputy information secretary Malik Tahirsaid that the latest list was also not final yet.
According to the list, however, the PTI has fielded 17 candidates fromKarachi in NA including Imran Khan from NA-243, Dr Arif Alivi from NA-247,Faisal Vawda from NA-249, Naeem Adil Sheikh NA-238, and Saif ur Rehman fromNA-242.
Faisal Vawda is the managing director of Faisal Wada Group. Dr Arif Alvihad secured around 68,500 votes in 2013 election, and served as a MNA from2013 to 2018. Naeem Adil Sheikh is the brother of Haleem Adil Sheikh, thesenior executive vice president of PTI’s Karachi chapter. Saifur Rahman,who is the vice president of party’s Karachi chapter, is contesting fromNA-242.
Masroor Ali has been nominated for NA-236, Jamil Ahmed Khan for NA-237whereas PTI candidate Muhammad Akhram will be contesting the elections fromNA-239. Syed Ali Haider Zaidi has been nominated from NA-244, Sardar Azizfrom NA-248, Attaullah from NA-250, Muhammad Aslan from NA-251 and AftabJahangir from NA-252 in Karachi. Muhammad Ashraf Jabbar will be contestingthe elections from NA-253 while PTI candidates Muhammad Aslam Khan, MahmoodBaqiMoulvi and Muhammad Najeeb Haroon have been nominated for NA-254,NA-255 and NA-256 respectively.