As Pakistan anticipates its upcoming elections, more than 70 former members of the National Assembly won't be partaking in the electoral fray. An overwhelming 98% of these ex-members have refrained from submitting their nomination papers, marking a significant absence in the current election cycle.
Numerous women ex-members were not nominated by their respective political parties for specific positions. Additionally, the research findings noted the unfortunate passing of four former assembly members.
Among the high-profile figures absent from the election race are renowned politicians like Isfandiar Wali, Muftah Ismail, Jamal Laghari, Rai Mujtabi Kharl, Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, and Imran Ismail. Their absence underscores a shift in the political landscape, as several familiar faces choose not to partake in the upcoming electoral process.
The list of former members who opted out includes Sameera Malik, Ghous Bakhsh Mehr, Mian Shafiq, and Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, representing a spectrum of political affiliations and backgrounds.
Furthermore, notable individuals such as Asad Umar, Ali Zaidi, Mohsin Leghari, and Khusro Bahtiyar have also chosen not to participate in the electoral race, indicating a strategic withdrawal from active involvement in this electoral cycle.
The group of former members who refrained from participation extends to include Amjad Niazi, Sadaqat Abbasi, Nusrat Sahar, and Ali Nawaz Awan, among others. Their absence underscores the changing dynamics within the political spectrum as Pakistan prepares for the upcoming elections.
The collective absence of former members also features individuals like Aamir Bakhsh Bhutto, Khurram Shahzad Awan, Faiz Kemuka, Mansoor Hayat, Chaudhry Jafar Iqbal, and Haider Thand, among several others, reflecting a diverse range of political backgrounds and affiliations.
The list continues with individuals like Mayza Hameed, Mehnaz Aziz, Ishrat Ashraf, Manza Hasan, Ayesha Ghos Pasha, Shireen Mazari, Andalib Abbas, Rida Khan, Shehzadi Umarzadi Towana, Ghazala Saifee, Ameera Khan, Asma Qadeer, Sami Bukhari, Thobia Kamal, and Malaika Bukhari, highlighting the absence of a significant array of former assembly members from the upcoming electoral landscape.
Their collective absence reshapes the upcoming elections, signaling a shift in the roster of familiar faces within Pakistan's political sphere.