TOBA TEK SINGH, Sept 23: With just 17 days left in elections, candidates here have not been able to make the people take interest in their campaigns despite spending lavishly in setting up election offices and arranging big caravans of cars, Land Cruisers and Pajeros.

District Nazim Chaudhry Mohammad Ashfaq has his nephew Farhan Latif, who is the son of famous industrialist Mian Mohammad Latif, in the run for NA-93 as an independent candidate. Mr Latif is allied with the PML-QA candidate for PP-86, Dr Ashfaqur Rehman. According to sources, both the district and Tehsil Nazims are (allegedly) supporting the two candidates.

PML-N’s Hamza, PPP’s Haji Mohammad Ishaq and PML-J’s Chaudhry Amjad Ali Warraich are in the run for NA-92 (Gojra). For PP-84 (Gojra), tough contest is expected between former PPP minister Khalid Malik and PML-N candidate Asad Zaman Cheema. Same is the case in PP-85, with Azhar Nadeem of PML-N, Tariq Mahmood of PML-J and Saifullah Cheema of PPP in the run.

Gojra Tehsil Nazim Khalid Warraich and Naib Nazim Imtiaz Mian are said to be using their influence in favour of their group’s candidates — Mr Warraich on NA-92 and Mr Mahmood on PP-85.

Meanwhile, district Naib Nazim Haji Ghulam Rabbani is using his influence in favour of his son Sajjad Rabbani, who is the PML-QA candidate on PP-85.

In NA-93, there are PPP’s Hafeezullah Ishaq (former interior secretary) and JI’s Dr Zahid Sattar besides Mr Latif. The main contest is between Mr Latif and Mr Ishaq.

In PP-86, PML-QA’s Dr Ashfaq faces a tough opponent in the person of National Alliance candidate Saeed Jillani Tariq, who has a solid vote-bank of his father-in-law Ghiasuddin Janbaz. The PPP has fielded Neelum Jabbar for this seat.

On PP-87, the main contest is between Babar Gadhi of PML-QA and Nasim Ahmad of PPP; on PP-90 it is between PPP’s Mian Rafiq, Chaudhry Javed Akhtar of PML-QA and district Nazim’s group candidate Liaquat Ali; on PP-89, between Asad Abbas Shah and Husain Raza, both of whom are independent candidates, and on NA-94 (Kamalia), between PPP candidate Khalid Kharal and PML-N’s Mian Asadur Rehman.