F.P. Report
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) released the list of candidates for the legislatures with several National Assembly constituencies marked as pending mainly due to the difference of opinion. Interestingly, the PTI has fielded its candidates against its erstwhile close ally Sheikh Rashid Ahmad and his nephew Sheikh Rashid Shafiq, as the two sides reportedly developed differences over last year’s May 9 mayhem.
There is no nomination pending from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, whereas in the other three provinces — Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan — dozens of constituencies are still open for final nominations from the party. Meanwhile, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan is a candidate from NA-10, Buner-I, and Omar Ayub Khan is contesting from NA-18, Haripur. Murad Saeed and Advocate Kamal Khan have been named candidates for NA-4, Swat-III, former NA speaker Asad Qaiser is contesting from NA-19, Swabi-I, ex-minister Ali Muhammad Khan from NA-23, Mardan-III, Sher Afzal Marwat from NA-41, Lakki Marwat, Ali Amin Gandapur from NA-44, DIK-I. From the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), Amir Masood Mughal is fighting from NA-46, Advocate Shoaib Shaheen from NA-47 and Ali Bokhari from NA-48. In Punjab, Major Tahir Sadiq has been fielded from NA-49 in Attock and his daughter Eman Sadiq from NA-50, Raja Basharat and Shahriyar Riaz have been fielded from NA-55 and NA-56, Rawalpindi, where Sheikh Rashid returned many times in the pat while Senior party leader Shah Mehmood Qureshi has been fielded from Multan and Tharparkar. Ayaz Amir is the PTI’s candidate for NA-58, Chakwal, Riaz Fatyna for NA-107, Sheikh Waqas Akram for NA-109, Brig Ejaz Shah from NA-112, Nankana, senior lawyers Latif Khosa for NA-122, Salman Akram Raja for NA-128 and Dr.Yasmin Rashid for NA-130, Lahore. From NA-151, Multan, Shah Mehmood Qureshi and Mehar Bano Qureshi have been named while Jamshaid Dasti is the PTI candidate for NA-175, Zartaj Gul for NA-185, Qureshi for NA-214 and Ghulam Qadir Sanjrani for for NA-260. From Faisalabad, Ali Sahi, son of former speaker of Punjab Assembly Afzal Sahi has been fielded from an NA seat whereas Sahibzada Hamid Raza, son of late Sahibzada Fazal Karim, has also been awarded a ticket from Faisalabad for the NA seat. From Lahore, former PML-N MPA Wasim Qadir has been fielded from NA-121 from where he will contest against PML-N’s Sheikh Rohail Asgher whereas former Punjab governor Mian Azhar is the party candidate from NA-129. Shafqat Mehmood, two-time MNA of PTI from Lahore, withdrew his nomination papers. The most significant decision regarding Lahore has also been made as former Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid has been fielded from NA-130 against former prime minister Nawaz Sharif. From NA-127, PTI has fielded former Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) MNA, Malik Zaheer Abbas Khokhar and he will contest against PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and PML-N’s Atta Tarar. Salman Akram Raja has also been fielded for an NA seat in Lahore. According to a notification, for the NA-108 (Shah Jewna/ Mochiwala) seat, former federal minister Sahibzada Mehboob Sultan, for NA-109 (Jhang urban) former federal minister Sheikh Waqas Akram and NA-110 (Shorkot/Ahmedpur Sial) Sahibzada Ahmed Sultan were awarded tickets. A candidate from the Hindu community, Lal Chand, is also contesting elections from NA-213 in Umer Kot whereas Qureshi has been fielded from NA-214, a seat that falls in Tharparkar. However, at least 34 NA constituencies still have no candidates and these include Lahore, Gujranwala, Faisalabad, Kasur, Khanewal, Sahiwal and Pakpattan.
Meanwhile, the PTI has decided to announce the remaining names of ticket holders on different seats once their cases are decided by the court. PTI President Chaudhry Parvez Elahi and his son Chaudhry Moonis Elahi are out of the poll race due to the rejection of their papers.
