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By-election for Senate seat: No consensus among Opp on choice of candidate

* Pir Muhammad Khan says he is the best choice for the Senate seat from NWFP

By Iqbal Khattak

PESHAWAR: The first two rounds of consultation among the opposition parties in the NWFP Assembly to run a consensus candidate for the Senate by-poll on April 13 by-polls have yielded no result, a Pakistan People’s Party Parliamentarians (PPPP) leader told Daily Times on Saturday.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, the PPPP leader said that the opposition parties — Pakistan Muslim League Quaid-e-Azam and Nawaz, PPP-Sherpao, Awami National Party and some independent members of the Provincial Assembly — sat on Thursday and Friday to discuss whether the 54-member opposition would support the PPPP or PML-Q candidates to challenge Qari Muhammad Abdullah, candidate from the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA).).

“No results at all so far,” he said, referring to the talks. “But we hope a decision will be reached by Sunday or Monday on who will face the MMA candidate,” he added. “We want the opposition to support the PPPP candidate. The same is the case with the PML-Q which wants its candidate be backed on polling day.”

The opposition is in a dilemma and may support Pir Muhammad Khan, an independent candidate, on the condition if he “wins the support of around 12 MMA members of the Provincial Assembly (MPAs).”

“I am the best candidate for both the MMA and the opposition,” Pir Muhammad Khan told Daily Times. He is contesting the election as an independent candidate despite winning a provincial assembly seat on the MMA’s ticket in the 2002 general elections.

Khan, who is the most senior parliamentarian in the NWFP Assembly, hoped the “graduate” assembly members on both sides would support him.

“If you need someone who is qualified to represent you in the Senate then I am the best choice for both sides,” he said, amid hopes that NWFP Chief Minister Akram Khan Durrani and Assembly Speaker Bakht Jehan Khan would “pay back” after he voted for them.

However, in the House of 124 members, the MMA enjoys absolute majority, and even if members of both factions of the PPP, the Awami National Party, the two factions of the PML and some independents cast their votes in Khan’s favour, his chances of making it to the Senate appear slim.

“I am his (Khan’s) friend and my vote will go to him. But still I don’t believe he will win because the opposition is divided. If the whole opposition goes this way, Khan may pull some MMA votes,” a provincial minister told Daily Times.

“Khan does have good friends among the MMA parliamentarians. Had the opposition announced their unconditional support to him, this could have sent a good message among the MMA MPAs to vote for him. But unfortunately, the opposition is divided and that will not help Khan,” the minister said.

“He (Khan) has to produce the MMA members before us to convince us that he enjoys their support. We cannot trust him blindly,” the MPA said. “At the moment, the MMA looks unlikely to lose the election. However, what may happen in the future is difficult to say,” he added.

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