Karachi - The Pakistan Peoples Party-Shaheed Bhutto (PPP-SB) has announced the final list of its candidates for 16 national and 50 provincial constituencies in Sindh.
Party’s chairperson Ghinwa Bhutto is the only electable and heavy weight candidate who is contesting on four national and two provincial seats from Larkana and Karachi. Though, the PPP-Shaheed Bhutto, which remained inactive in the province politically, has fielded candidates on only 50 seats of total 130 constituencies of Sindh Assembly. The party is in election race on merely 16 seats of total 61 constituencies of national assembly in the province.
According to the party’s announcement, Ghinwa Bhutto is contesting on four national and two provincial seats which include NA-206 and NA-207 Larkana-Qambar/Shahdadkot, NA-248-Lyari-Karachi and NA-257-Malir-Karachi.
Widow of Shaheed Mir Mirtaza Bhutto is also contesting on two provincial assembly seats which include PS-36-Larkana and PS-108 Lyari, Karachi.
In Larkana, the chairperson of PPP-Shaheed Bhutto will face Faryal Talpur - sister of President Asif Ali Zardari - on NA-207-Larkana/Qambar-Shahdadkot which is an old seat of Bhutto family as Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and Shaheed Benazir Bhutto found their way to lead the government as Prime Minister through this seat. Three-way election contest would be witnessed on NA-207 Larkana as three main candidates include PPP’s Faryal Talpur, Ghinwa Bhutto and JUI-F’s Khalid Mehmood Soomro of ten-party alliance of opposition parties are in election race.
Meanwhile, Ghinwa is also in election race on NA-206-Qambar-Shahdadkot of old Larkana district against Mir Amir Magsi of PPP.
Besides, PPP-SB chairperson is also contesting elections on two national and one provincial seat in Karachi which include NA-257-Malir and NA-248-Lyari and PS-108 Lyari.
She will face the main rival of MQM candidate on NA-257 Malir, while she will face Shahjahan Baloch of PPP on NA-248.
Lyari is the stronghold of PPP where Nabeel Gabol had been winning on NA-248 for national assembly. It is to be noted here that Mr Gabol, after emergence of differences with the leadership, recently quit the party and joined MQM.
As all candidates of Lyari is nominated by the banned People Amn Committee, so Ghinawa Bhutto will face Shahjahan Baloch of PPP on this seat in next elections. Besides, PPP-SB chairperson is in election race on PS-108 Lyari against the PPP and banned Peoples Amn Committee’s nominee Javed Nagori.
Meanwhile, PPP-Shaheed Bhutto’s other candidates include Qurban Kalwar on NA-99 Sukkur, Ahmed Ali Khoso on NA-208 Jacobabad, Rashid Ali Kalhoro on NA-211 Naushehro Feroze, Khalir Rehman on NA-212 Naushehro Feroze, Peeral Majeedano on NA-218 - Matiari, Raes Muhakamuddin Lund on NA-223 Tando Allahyar, Shiam Sundar on NA-227 Mirpurkhas, Amanullah Qaimkhani on NA-228 Umerkot, Suleman Bhulae on NA-231 Jamshoro, Shams Panhwar on NA-232 Jamshoro, Ghulam Hussain Khowaja on NA-253 Karachi and Ishaque Jokhio on NA-258 Malir.
PPP-SB may give tough time to the PPP in Larkana.