News
Monday, April 01, 2013
Lahore main battlefield between PML-N and PTI; PPP in troubleBy Kashif Hussain
LAHORE: The Lahore city is set to become the main election battlefield of Nawaz-League, Tehreek-e-Insaf, Pakistan People’s Party, Communist Party of Pakistan, Jamaat-e-Islami and some other popular parties after filing more than 1,000 nomination forms for only 13 national and 26-provincial assemblies’ seats here on Sunday.
More than 20,000 candidates have filed their nomination forms showing their interest to contest for 148 National Assembly as well as 297 provincial assembly seats in the upcoming general elections from Punjab, the election commission sources confirmed to Daily Times after end of scheduled time for filing of nomination forms on Sunday midnight.
National Assembly slot: The bigwigs of different parties who have selected the ‘hub of politics – Lahore city’ and filed their nomination forms from here to contest elections include: PML-N’s Nawaz Sharif from NA-120, Shahbaz Sharif from NA-118 and NA-129, Hamza Shahbaz from NA-119, Ayaz Sadiq from NA-122, Pervez Malik, Dr Saeed Elahi and Khawaja Saad Rafiq from NA-123, Malik Riaz from NA-118, Kh Hassaan and Mian Noman from NA-122, Ejaz Dayal from NA-130, Afzal Khokhar from NA-128, Sohail Zia Butt from NA-127, Hamayun Akhtar, a central leader and candidate of PML-Likeminded group, is also a key contester in NA-127, especially after developing understanding with the PML-N in the constituency against the PTI’s strong candidate Aleem Khan. He has also filed nomination forms from NA-118, NA-123, NA-124 and NA-125, but finally he will contest from NA-127.
PTI’s Imran Khan has filed two nomination papers from NA-122 and NA-126. PTI sources said he would like to contest from NA-126 finally. Other main contesters of the PTI who are in the race to win the election or could come into competition are Karamat Khokhar from NA-128, and Aleem Khan from NA-127. Dr Yasmeen Rashid is also contesting from NA-119 and could disturb a good vote bank of Nawaz League’s candidate Hamza Shahbaz in the constituency. Waleed Iqbal, grandson of Allama Iqbal, is contesting election from NA-124 against Bushra Aitzaz, but he’s is being considered a weak candidate.
Some other considerable leaders of PTI, like Shafqat Mehmood, will contest from NA-126, Hamid Meraj from NA-123, Barrister Mian Hamad Azhar, a son of Mian Azhar, from NA-121. The PPP was in a good position to win at least two seats from Lahore in previous elections, but this time it is a hard target for it as Lahoris are not seen in favour of it, as they had issues with the previous elected leadership of Samina Ghurki and Tariq Meo from Lahore city both leaders have not directly facilitate the locals as well as the issue of heavy load shedding of electricity was also a point of anger from the people.
Though the PPP’s Samina Ghurki from NA-130 and Tariq Meo were being considered winning candidates and both have filed their nomination papers from NA-130 and NA-129, respectively, but after being chosen by Shahbaz Sharif the constituency NA-129 has become hard to win for the PPP, while Samina Ghurki’s victory has also become doubtful, as the PTI is emerging from here and could harm her vote bank by its popularity, especially among the youth. PPP’s Barrister Amir Hasan Sharif will contest election from NA-122 and Sohail Malik will contest from NA-119. The PPP has dropped Barrister Tariq from NA-122 due to his dual nationality.
Jamaat-e-Islami’s key leader Fareed Paracha will contest election from NA-121, Ahsan Ullah Waqqas from NA-127 and Liaqat Baloch from NA-126. It is for the first time that the Communist Party of Pakistan (CPP) has fielded a candidate, named Irfan Ali, for National Assembly seat NA-129 and two candidates for provincial assembly seats –Shehzad Ali Akbar from PP-160 and Shabbir Hussain Advocate from PP-161 for contesting elections on general seats. MQM’s candidates have also submitted their nomination forms on all 13 national and 26 provincial assembly seats, while only Tahira Asif Mian is noteworthy among the candidates.
Provincial assembly slot: PML-N’s candidates who have filed their nomination papers for the Punjab Assembly seats are: Shahbaz Sharif from PP-143, PP-159 and PP-161, while he is likely to contest provincial elections from PP-159. Some other main candidates are: Kh Salman Rafiq from PP 144, PP 142, PP 155 and PP 151, Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan from PP 149, Ikhlaq Ahmad Guddu from PP 144, Dr Saeed Elahi from PP 151 and PP 152, Omar Sohail Zia Butt from PP 153, Mian Mujtaba Shujaur Rehman from PP 141, Mian Noman from PP 148 and Ch Akhtar Rasool from PP 148.
PPP’s Zahid Zulfiqar will contest from PP-146 and PP-157, Nazeer Chohan from PP 152, Haji Imdad from PP 145, Farooq Ghurki from PP-160. PTI’s Mazhar Iqbal Bhalli from PP-139, Hamid Meraj from PP-144, Aleem Khan from PP 147 and PP 152, Ejaz Chaudhry from PP-148, Zaheer Khokhar from PP-151, Yasmin Rashid PP 154, Ibrarul Haq from PP 155 and Abdur Rasheed Bhatti from PP 161 are noteworthy candidates from the Lahore city seats in upcoming general elections.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk