Five leading political parties have reached a comprehensive agreement on seat adjustments, including allocations and mutual support arrangements, for the forthcoming elections to the national and provincial assembly seats in the Sindh region.
Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N)’s Bashir Memon is set to contest against the People’s Party’s Makhdoom Jameel-uz-Zaman for the NA-216 (Matiari) seat. At the same time, PML-N’s Asghar Shah will vie for NA-205 (Naushehro Feroze-I). JUI’s Allama Rashid Soomro is slated to challenge Bilawal Bhutto in the National Assembly constituency from Larkana.
In the Ghotki district, JUI candidates will contest for PS-18, along with seats in Kashmore and Shikarpur. PML-N candidates are expected to run for PS-5 and PS-6 in Kashmore and PS-9 in Shikarpur. Allied parties will likely support PML-N candidates in Karachi’s NA-229, NA-230, and NA-231. Irfanullah Marwat of GDA, backed by all allied parties, will contest for PS-105.
Further, a JUI candidate or former MNA Abdul Shakoor Shad, running independently, might be the joint candidate of the coalition to compete against People’s Party’s Nabeel Gabol in NA-239 Lyari. The PML-N is considering Awais Noorani for NA-232, and Tanveer Jadoon will likely be the joint candidate from PS-107. The Awami National Party (ANP) will contest a provincial seat from Karachi with support from the alliance.
Coalition Strategies and District Focus
The coalition is deliberating on supporting Nasir Mehmood of JUI from Lyari’s provincial constituency PS-106. Another JUI candidate is expected to be fielded from PS-111 and PS-114 in the Keamari district. A PML-N candidate may contest from NA-211 Mirpur Khas with the backing of other allied parties.
In the districts of Shikarpur, Kashmore, and Jacobabad, candidates from JUI and PML-N are likely to dominate the nominations. These strategic alignments among the coalition parties reflect their efforts to strengthen their positions in various constituencies across Sindh.