Secular ethnic parties unite to face MWM contestants in Elections from Quetta

Secular ethnic Hazara Democratic Party (HDP) and secular ethnic Pakhtunkhwa-based Awami National Party (ANP) announced thier alliance to support each other’s candidates contesting the elections from various constituencies in Quetta in what appeared mainly against Majlis-e-Wahdat-e-Muslimeen.

The announcement was made at a joint press conference addressed by ANP’s provincial president Asghar Khan Achakzai and HDP chairman Abdul Khaliq Hazara.
The leaders of the two parties (ANP and HDP) said that as an outcome of the understanding, the ANP would withdraw its candidates Tania Aslam from PB-26 and Arbab Omar Farooq from PB-27 in favour of HDP candidates, while HDP chairman Khaliq Hazara would withdraw his nomination papers from NA-265 in favour of ANP’s Arbab Umar Farooq Kasi.
The two parties would now conduct a joint campaign for their candidates which would be a “good precedent for other political parties to follow”, Mr Hazara said.
Balochistan’s former law minister Agha Raza (Syed Mohammad Raza) who hails from Majlis-e-Wahdat-e-Muslimeen, is contesting Elections to National Assembly and Balochistan Assembly from NA-265 and PB-27, respectively. Hence, the electoral adjustment of ANP and HDP is seen against the MWM’s heavyweight who had won last electoral contest from the provincial constituency.