September 20, 2002	Friday	Rajab 12, 1423

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LAHORE, Sept 19: The National Assembly seats being contested by the heads of the PML(QA), the Millat Party, the PML(N), the Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaaf, the Pakistan Awami Tehrik, the PML(Z) and the central office-bearers of the People’s Party Parliamentarians are the most prestigious seats in the Punjab on which the respective parties are focussing their energies to win them at all costs.

Defeat on these seats will mean the loss of face for the loser as well as his party.

The results of the Oct 10 elections may be as unpredictable as were those of the 1997.

Split of the PML, alliance between arch rivals PML(N) and the PPP — though it could not translate into electoral adjustments even on many important seats- alliance of all important religious parties, increase in the number of assembly seats and the voters because of the lowering of voting age from 21 years to 18 and total government support to a particular party make it difficult even for the stakeholders to speculate what is in store for them.

Another factor because of which the possible outcome of the elections can’t be forecast is the induction of a large number of new faces in the electoral arena because of the education bar.