Hafiz Saeed’s party fields candidate from Sharif seat

Islamabad: Hafiz Mohammed Saeed-led Jamaatud Dawa (JuD) has fielded its candidate for the upcoming by-election in a Lahore constituency for the National Assembly vacated by former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif who was disqualified last month.

The JuD candidate filed nomination papers for NA-120 under the banner of Milli Muslim League (MML) which is yet to be registered as a political party.

Officially however, Muhammad Yaqoob Sheikh has filed his nomination papers with the Election Commission of Pakistan as an independent candidate as the MML awaits registration as a recognized party. At a news conference in Lahore, MML President Saifullah Khalid said, “We would fully support Muhammad Yaqoob Sheikh in the by-poll.”

He said further explained that MML is still under the process of registration in the ECP, “so Muhammad Yaqoob Sheikh would officially contest the election as an independent candidate.”

MML spokesperson Tabish Qayum said the party held its first public meeting at Istanbul Chowk at The Mall.

Earlier, Nawaz Sharif’s wife Kalsoom Nawaz filed her nomination papers for NA-120 seat. Her most powerful rival for the September 17 by-election in this Lahore constituency, Dr Yasmin Rashid of the opposition Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf also filed her nomination papers the same day.

The nomination papers of Kalsoom Nawaz were filed before the Returning Officer by her son-in-law Muhammad Safdar and ruling party Senator Asif Saeed Kirmani.

This marked the formal entry of the former First Lady to the politics of the country. Hafiz Nauman has been named her covering candidate in this key election. PTI’s Dr Yasmin Rashid had contested the May 2013 election for the PTI from the same constituency but she lost the polls to Nawaz Sharif with a margin of around 40,000 votes.

The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has nominated Faisal Mir for the by-election. The real contest however is between the women candidates of ruling Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) the PTI.

A pitched electoral battle is expected as this by-election, just months ahead of the next general elections, will have a large bearing on the future political standing of both the rivals parties.