Speculations abound that election of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Legislative Assembly (LA) seats in Sindh might be postponed as differences between the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) arise, Pakistan Today has learnt.
According to sources, the MQM has demanded the two AJK Assembly seats in the province, whereas the PPP is not at all in favour of the MQM having both the seats; however, it seems that the election of both seats might be postponed over the law and order situation in Karachi. Sources said that a high-level meeting of PPP and MQM leaders was held to resolve the issue of candidature on the two seats reserved for Kashmiri refugees residing in Sindh, Balochistan and Bahawalpur district.
The meeting was attended by PPP leader Khursheed Ahmed Shah and PPP-Sindh General Secretary Taj Haider, whereas Dr Farooq Sattar led the MQM delegation, the sources added. They said that the PPP has offered the MQM one seat and promise to accommodate another of its candidate after the election. The PPP assured the MQM that after the Azad Kashmir government is formed, an MQM candidate would be appointed as the Azad Kashmir prime minister’s adviser, but the MQM refused to accept this offer and demanded both the seats, they added.
Sources said that the PPP refused to give both seats to the MQM because there is tough competition between the PPP and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) in the Azad Kashmir election. The numbers game would matter in forming the next Azad Kashmir government, which is why the PPP does not want to withdraw its seat, the sources added. They said that the other reason why the PPP cannot withdraw its candidate Sardar Maqsooduz Zaman is because he is a close relative of Sardar Yaqoob who is supporting the PPP on 41 seats.
The PPP and MQM also discussed the location of polling stations and appointing the election staff, they added. Sources said that several candidates had filed complaints with the election commissioner that the announced polling stations are not located where majority of the Kashmiris are residing. It is pertinent to mention here that the MQM’s Coordination Committee (CC) had met on Saturday and decided to protest against the government and the election commission every stage because of the government’s partiality.
The PPP-Sindh general secretary has said that the election would be held in a free and fair manner. “Why should the PPP withdraw its seat? The MQM is an ally of the PPP government and this issue will be resolved through mutual understanding,” he said. Sources claimed that if this issue between the PPP and the MQM is not solved soon, the election of both seats might be postponed until further notice on the grounds of law and order situation in the city. It is also relevant to mention here that the election would be held for 41 general seats of the AJK Assembly, of which 12 seats are reserved for Kashmiri refugees living across Pakistan.
Out of those 12 seats, LA-30 and LA-36 are reserved for Kashmiri refugees in Sindh. LA-30 constituency comprises 43 districts of Sindh and Balochistan and Bahawalpur district, whereas the number of registered voters in this constituency is 69,016 and the number of candidates is 12. Important candidates contesting from this constituency include PPP’s Zaman, MQM’s Tahir Mehmood Khokhar, PML-N’s Abdul Rashid Mirza, and All Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Conference (AJKMC)’s Abdul Rashid Dar.
LA-36 constituency comprises 12 districts of Sindh and a district of Balochistan, whereas the number of registered voters in this constituency is 6,199 and the number of candidates is 11. Important candidates contesting from this constituency include PPP’s Iqbal Kashmiri, MQM’s Saleem, and AJKMC’s Hameed Abbasi.
