PESHAWAR: Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) candidate Muhammad Ayub Khan is trying his luck in general elections from PK-4 Peshawar against the nominees of ANP, PML-N, Quami Watan Party, JUI-F and Muttahida Deeni Mahaz.
As many as 18 nominees of different political parties including nine independent candidates will contest general elections from PK-4.
In 2008 general elections, the ANP candidate Syed Aqil Shah secured a strong victory from this constituency, however, in 2002 general elections, Muttahida Deeni Mahaz candidate Muhammad Ibrahim Qasmi marked his victory.
ANP and Muttahida Deeni Mahaz have once again given party ticket to Aqil Shah and Ibrahim Qasim respectively to contest general elections from PK-4.
The other candidates of the different political parties included JUI-F Arbab Muhammad Farooq Jan, Jamaat-e-Islami's Riaz Ahmed Bacha, Quami Watan Party's Tahir Shahzad Siraf, PML-N's Muhammad Arshad Qureshi and MQM's Muhammad Ayub Khan.
HYDERABAD: Khuram Mirza an independent candidate on PS 47 Qasimabad and nephew of Dr. Zulfiqar Mirza former Sindh home minister and opponent of Mutehida Qaumi Movement, has joined MQM and withdrew candidature in favour of MQM candidate of PS 47 Ali Ahmed Brohi. Announcement to this effect was made by Khuram Mirza at a press conference along with his friends and few of his relatives here on Friday in presence of MQM central committee member Ghazi Sallahuddin and Muhammad Sharif zonal incharge of MQM Hyderabad. Addressing press conference he not only withdrew but also said he was joining MQM with full confidence in leadership of its Quaid Altaf Hussain. He said he belongs to literary family of Mirza Qaleech Beg rightly called as Shamsul Ulema and former Hyderabad Mayor Mirza Ashiq Ali Beg and other elders of Mirza clan who have been serving Sindh and its people since centuries. He said he has reached to the conclusion that there was only one leader in Pakistan Altaf Hussain who can steer clear the nation out of present political quagmire. He also said Altaf Hussain was also lone leader who can pull down the wall of hatred created among old Sindhis and Urdu speaking Sindhis which was created by so called nationalists. He said Altaf Hussain not only talks of rights of Sindh but implements it in letter and spirit. He was accompanied with Ali Raza Mirza, Shujat Ali Mirza, Jehanzeb Mirza, Din Muhammad Bhatti, Gulzar Kazi and Atif Hussain Mashhadi. Meanwhile PML-N candidate on PS 45 Hyderabad Muhammad Faisal Athar Rajput and independent candidate from same constituency Ghulam Muhammad Qureshi also announced to withdraw in favour of MQM candidate on PS 45 Dilawar Qureshi during same press conference. They also announced to join MQM and expressed confidence in leadership of Altaf Hussain. On this occasion Ghazi Sallahuddin and Muhammad Sharif welcomed the new entrants in MQM and their withdrawal in favour of MQM candidates. They said the caravan of MQM was of Haq Parasti in which people were joining and supporting on mass scale. To a question Ghazi Sallahuddin said the task of holding fair elections was of election commission and not of army.