Raisani, Bizenjo, Zehri among other bigwigs to contest for Balochistan’s provincial seats

QUETTA: Several prominent political leaders from Balochistan will be contesting the forthcoming general election for 51 provincial seats of the province.

As many as 1,400 candidates submitted their nomination papers for the provincial seats, which were then scrutinised by the Election Commission of Pakistan.

Some of the bigwigs contesting election include Chief of Sarawan Nawab Muhammad Aslam Khan Raisani, who has been elected four times as a member of the Provincial Assembly of Balochistan and remained chief minister, along with former Balochistan chief ministers Nawab Sanaullah Khan Zehri and Mir Abdul Quddus Bizenjo.

Raisani will contest from Mastung as an independent candidate, while Zehri, who is the chief of the Jhalawan tribe, will contest from Khuzdar on a Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz ticket.

Bizenjo and Mir Jan Mohammad Khan Jamali, who has served two terms as deputy chairman of the Senate from March 2006 to March 2012, will contest on Balochistan Awami Party tickets. Bizenjo is contesting election from his native area Awaran and Quetta, while Jamali is contesting election from Jaffarabad.

Moreover, Balochistan Awami Party President Jam Kamal Khan will also contest for the provincial seat of Othal, Bela. While one of the founders of the party, Senator Saeed Ahmed Hashmi, will be contesting from Quetta.

Sardar Muhammad Saleh Bhutani, who has served as interim chief minister of Balochistan, will contest on the Balochistan Awami Party ticket for Lasbela.

Former MPA Sheikh Jaffar Khan Mandokhail will contest as an independent candidate from Zhob, while former opposition leader Maulana Abdul Wasay will contest for Killa Saifullah on Jamiat Ulema-e Islam (F) ticket.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Balochistan President Sardar Yar Mohammad Rind will contest polls from Kachhi/Bolan. Pakistan Peoples Party’s Mir Muhammad Sadiq Ali Umrani had filed papers to contest from Naseerabad. However, he has filed an appeal with the appellate tribunal as his papers were rejected. 

Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP)'s two candidates, Abdul Rahim Ziaratwal and Dr Hamid Achakzai, will contest from Harnai-Ziarat and Killa Abdullah respectively.

On the other hand, Nawab of Marri, Changez Khan Marri, and his brother will contest election from Kohlu.

Alongside, former provincial interior minister Mir Sarfaraz Bugti, Nawaz Mir Ali Bugti and Jamhoori Wattan Party’s Nawab Gohram Khan Bugti will fight the election from Dera Bugti.