8 main political parties submit names to EC for seats reserved for minorities in Pak’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

PESHAWAR, Dec 26: Eight main political parties of Pakistan have submitted 29 names, including that of Hindu and Sikh candidates, to the election commission for four seats reserved for minorities in the provincial legislature of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for the upcoming general elections in February.

The elections in Pakistan will be held on February 8 for 1,085 seats of the National Assembly (NA)and four provincial assemblies.

Jamiat-e-Ulema Islam (JUI) led by Maulana Fazlur Rahman topped the list by submitting 13 names against four minorities reserved seats in the KPK Assembly followed by 5 from Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), 4 from Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), 2 from Awami National Party (ANP), 1 from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

The priority list of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F) nominated candidates are Askar Pervez, Gorpal Singh, Farid Chund Singh, Deepak Kumar, Jackson Sardar, Ranjeet Singh, Shahzeb Advocate, Mubashir Naz, James Masih, Ambar, Sunil George, Gaggan Deep and Naveed Jaim. ANP candidates are Amar Jeet and Ashok Kumar and the PTI candidate is Wazirzada.

The PPP submitted five names for minority seats, including Beri Lal, Babar, Yusaf George, Kishor Kumar and Ranjeet Parkash.

Jamaat-e-Islami candidates are Javed Gul, Nasir Munir, Nasreen, and Junaid Gul. PTI Parliamentarian party nominees are Dil Raj Gul and Aresh Kumar. The PTI Ideological party proposed the name of Samuel Robert and Pakistan’s Rah e Haq party proposed the name of Yasir Ameen.

Ironically, the Pakistan Muslim League (N) (PMLN) did not submit any name to the Election Commission for minorities reserved seats in the KPK Assembly.

According to the agreed formula of the Election Commission, the political party winning 29 seats in the general elections would secure one minority seat of the provincial assembly of the KPK.

And in case no party wins 29 seats in the elections, the party winning the most seats would be given one seat each of the minority reserved seats. (PTI)