Election Commission of Pakistan has summoned the two factions of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM-P) on February 27 due to their dispute on the names of their party's candidates for the Senate elections. The MQM-P has also submitted an application in the ECP requesting that the internal rift over the intra-party elections be resolved by February 27. Farooq Sattar's PIB group held the intra-party elections on Sunday in which he was elected as party convenor.

However, the rival faction at their office in Bahadurabad opposed him as their party's head claiming Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui was convenor. The intra-MQM differences that began over the candidacy of Kamran Tessori for the Senate election now turned into deepening leadership crisis.

MQM-P's Bahadurabad faction challenged the intra-party elections as illegal, while the PIB faction claimed itself the legitimate representative of their party.

Therefore, the ECP has summoned Farooq Sattar on February 27 to appear in person or through a representative to clarify on the intra-MQM-P election. The ECP will issue its decision if he fails to turn up.

O Monday, nine of the fifteen candidates of the MQM-P including Tessori withdrew their nominations for the Senate elections. However, the ECP refused the application of Bahadurabad group requesting that the party tickets of PIB group be withdrawn.

The ECP's list of candidates for the Senate elections included fourteen candidates belonging to the MQM, including four women candidates on reserved seats.

In all, more than 32 contestants are vying for twelve vacant seats of Senators from Sindh. According to ECP, more than 10 nominees have withdrawn.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2018