Stalwarts throw down gauntlets
Staff Report

ISLAMABAD—Central President of Awami National Party (ANP), Senator Asfandyar Wali Khan said Sunday that his party will not accept the decision of APDM about boycotting the general election.
Talking to reporters after submitting his nomination papers for National Assembly seat of NA-7 in Charsadda district, he said that ANP will only support it if all component parties of APDM decided about the boycott of general election.
Election process is gradually picking up momentum in Charsadda and Peshawar districts as large number of intending candidates are due to submit their nomination papers on Monday.
Former Prime Minister and Chairperson Pakistan Peoples Party Benazir Bhutto will file her nomination papers from two National Assembly constituencies in Larkana today (Monday). In a statement spokesperson of the Party, former Senator Farhatullah Babar said that she (Benazir) will contest National Assembly seats from constituencies NA- 204 and NA- 207. The Chairperson would proceed to Larkana to personally file nomination papers before relevant authorities sometime between 10 AM and 2 PM on Monday.
Former Chief Minister Punjab Ch. Pervaiz Elahi filed his nomination papers for PP-282 seat here on Sunday. After his arrival here, the former chief minister was taken to the office of Returning Officer in a big procession of workers and office bearers of PML (Q) where he filed his nomination papers, party sources said here.
Meanwhile, six other candidates also filed their nomination papers including Tahir Bashir Cheema, Iftikhar Nadeem, Ch.Muhammad Asghar, Muhammad Abdullah and Mian Muhammad Rafi.
Former Federal Minister and President of Pakistan Muslim League (PML-Q) NWFP, Engr Amir Muqam here Sunday filed his nomination papers for NA-4, Peshawar to contest the general election to be held on January 8, 2008. Official sources here said that Muqam has also submitted his nomination papers for provincial assembly seat (PF-11) Peshawar. Former MNA Sabir Hussain Awan filed his papers for NA-4.Meanwhile, Former NWFP Minister for Information and Public Relation, Asif Iqbal Daudzai also filed his papers for PF-8, Peshawar. Ex Minister for Religious Affairs, Hafiz Hasmat Ali and former MPA Khalid Waqar Chamkani also filled their nomination papers for PF-8 and PF-11 respectively. Chief of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) and
former Opposition leader in National Assembly, Maulana Fazlur Rehman has filed nomination papers for NA-26 Bannu district. Former Chief Minister NWFP, Akram Khan Durrani also filed nomination papers for the same constituency i.e. NA-26 as a covering candidate for Maulana Fazlur Rehman, official sources said here Sunday.
Likewise, Haji Baz Muhammad Khan also filed his nomination papers for PF-71 while Javed Momand will contest for PF-10 seat. The election process is gradually gaining momentum in NWFP as the intending candidates have started corner meetings with people and party supporters to mould public opinion.
Former Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif may file his nomination papers on Monday after consultation with his party members. Pakistan Muslim League leader Ahsan Iqbal said this while talking to newsmen at Allama Iqbal international Airport here on Sunday.
He said PML-N’s alliance with PML-Q is not possible as the latter is working on different agenda. PML-N can not join PML-Q which is advancing a pro-goverment agenda, he added. Ahsan Iqbal criticised the arrest of PML-N workers from various parts of the province.
To a question, he said that PPP workers were given free hand on arrival of Benazir Bhutto in Pakistan but PML-N workers are not being treated in the same way. PML-N Punjab President Zulifqar Ali Khan Khosa,Tehmina Daulatana, Zaemm Qadri, Zaeem Qadri, Hamza Shahbaz and number of other workers and party leaders were also present at the airport to welcome Nawaz Sharif Family.
Pakistan Peoples Party has announced the names of its nominees for reserved seats of minorities for the National Assembly and Provincial Assemblies of Punjab, Sindh, Frontier and Baluchistan. The nominations were approved in a meeting presided over by the Party Chairperson Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto.
The nominees have been advised to file their nomination papers with the Election Commission immediately under the Party title “Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians (PPPP)”. The names of candidates of reserved seats of National Assembly are including Shahbaz Bhatti, Ramesh Lal, Dr Lal Chand S/o Kundan Mal, Dr Mahesh Malani Dr Khatumal Jeewan Provincial Assemblies In Punjab,the nominees are Parvez Rafique, Tahir Naveed, Aneeqa Maria Akhtar, Naveed Amir, Khalid Gill, Kalyan Singh, George Paul, Shamoon Alfred, Akmal Bhatti.
In Sindh,there are, Dr Mohan Lal,Pitambar Sehwan,Lal Chand s/o Gangaram,Mukesh Kumar, Lal Chand alias Mali, Salim Khokhar,Lal Chand Jagwani, Lal Chand Ukhrani, Ashok Jethmalani. while in NWFP, prince Javed, Sardar Vijay Singh, Mr Dia Ram S/o Harman Das, In Balochistan the candidate is Jaffer George.
The Central Parliamentary Board of Pakistan Muslim League (PML) Sunday approved the names of 52 more candidates for NA constituencies of Islamabad, Punjab, NWFP and Balochistan for general elections to be held on January 8. Chairman of PML Central Election Cell Imtiaz Ranjha briefing the media said that names of 21 candidates from Punjab, 18 from NWFP, 11 from Balochistan and two from Islamabad have been approved for NA constituencies.
Imtiaz Ranjha said PML President Ch. Shujaat Hussain would participate in the general elections also from NA 112 (Sialkot III) while former Punjab Chief Minister Ch. Parvez Ellahi would also contest from NA 61 (Chakwal II). Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar and Sardar Rizwan Sadiq would contest the general elections from Islamabad’s constituencies NA 49 and NA 48 respectively.
President of PML, NWFP chapter Amir Muqam would contest the elections from two NA constituencies including NA 3 (Peshawar III) and NA 31 (Shangla). Names of candidates approved for NA constituencies in Punjab are NA 50 (Rawalpindi I) Javed Iqbal Satti, NA 51 (Rawalpindi II) Raja Qasim Javed, NA 58 (Attock II) Sardar Mumtaz Khan, NA 5 (Attock III) Eman Wasim, NA 61 (Chakwal II) Chaudhry Parvez Ellahi, NA 63 (Jhelum II) Chaudhry Shahbaz Hussain, NA 66 (Sargodha III) Tanzeela Amer Cheema, NA 76 (Faisalabad II) Rana Zahid Nazir, NA 112 (Sialkot III) Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, NA 132 (Sheikhupura II) Shahid Manzoor Gil, NA 136 (Sheikhupura VI) Tariq Mehmood Shah, NA 137 (Sheikhupura VII) Rai Mansab Ali Khan, NA 139 (Kasur II) Nilofar Mehdi, NA 143 (Okara I) Rai Mohammad Aslam Kharral, NA 152 (Multan V) Syed Mujahid Shah, NA 153 (Multan VI) Rana Qasim Noon, NA 161 (Sahiwal II) Rana Tariq Javed, NA 168 (Vehari II) Syed Sajid Mehdi Salim Shah, NA 176 (Muzaffargarh I) Qasim Hinjra, NA 188 (Bahawalnagar I) Khadim Hussain Wattoo, NA 193 (Rahimyarkhan II) Seth Mohammad Akbar.
Candidates approved for NA constituencies in NWFP include NA 3 (Peshawar III) Intikhab Khan, NA 4 (Peshawar IV) Amir Muqam, NA 5 (Nowshera I) Yahya Shah Kakakhel, NA 9 (Mardan I) Said Rehman Momin, NA 11 (Mardan III) Shad Ali Khan, NA 12 (Swabi I) Usman Khan Taraki, NA 15 (Karak) Ayub Khattak, NA 16 (Hangu) G.G. Jamal, NA 17 (Abbottabad-I) Amanullah Khan Jadoon, NA 18 (Abbottabad II) Sardar Yaqub Khan, NA 19 (Haripur) Omar Ayub Khan, NA 20 (Mansehra I) Sardar Shahjahan Khan, NA 22 (Batagaram) Prince Nawaz Khan Alai, NA 23 (Kohistan) Malik Sarran Zeb, NA 24 (D.I.Khan) Sanaullah Khan Hayatkhel, NA 27 (Lakki Marwat) Humayun Saifullah Khan, NA 31 (Shangla) Amir Muqam, NA 32 (Chitral) Shehzada Mohiuddin.