BAHAWALPUR, Sept 24: A number of alien heavyweights are among the 116 candidates contesting for six national and 13 provincial assembly seats in the Rahim Yar Khan district.

Of them, 31 candidates are in the run for six NA seats while 85 candidates for the 13 PA seats.

Among the outsiders are: PML-QA’s Jahangir Khan Tareen (NA-195) who is a close relative of district Nazim Makhdoom Ahmed Mahmood. Mr Tareen was the chairman of the Punjab agriculture task force during the Nawaz government.

Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, Punjab PML-QA president, is a candidate for PP-293 while Dr Anwarul Haq (PML-Z), the son of late Gen Zia, is also contesting from the same constituency. He is also in the run for NA-196.

In NA-192, a tough battle is expected between PPP’s Haji Saifullah and the independent candidate, Makhdoom Ahmed Alam Anwar. The PML-QA and the National Alliance are supporting Makhdoom Anwar. Mian Zubair Deenpuri is the MMA candidate for this constituency.

In NA-193, Jaffer Iqbal’s daughter Zaib Jaffer (PML-N) is up against Sh Mohammad Anwar (PML-QA) and Maj Tanveer Hussain (retired) (PPP), who is the brother of noted singer Tahira Sayed. Three other candidates, including Ms Shabnam Yasmeen (PML-Z), are also in the run for this seat.

A lively contest is also on the cards for NA-194 between former finance minister Makhdoom Shahabuddin (PPP) and ex-MPA Makhdoom Khusro Bakhtiar (PML-QA). Maulana Muhammad Mohsin Rehmani (MMA) and Muhammad Sadiq Mazhar (Ind) are the two other candidates.

In NA-195, PML-QA’s Jahangir Tareen will have a tough fight with PPP’s Makhdoom Amaduddin and MMA’s Muhammad Riaz Noori.

At least nine candidates are in the run for NA-196. A close contest is on hand among former NA deputy speaker Jaffer Iqbal Gujjar (PML-N), Mian Umar Khalid (PML-QA), Dr Riaz Ahmed (MMA) and Dr Anwarul Haq (PML-Z). The PPP has not fielded its candidate while the MQM placed a woman candidate, Zahida Ghani alias Baji.

In NA-197, the prominent figures of the Rais family — Rais Jahangir, Rais Munir Ahmed (PPP) and Rais Wazir Ahmed (PML-QA) are in the race. However, the real contest will be between Rais Wazir (PML-QA) and Rais Munir (PPP). The other candidates are Muhammad Ishtiaq Ch (MMA) and Rao Mohammad Kalim Khan (Ind).

On the provincial seat PP-292, Punjab PML-QA president Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi will face five candidates — Makhdoom Amaduddin (PPP), Hafizur Rehman (MMA) and independents Syed Shafqat Hussain, Ghulam Mujtaba Chandio and Malik Rasheed Ahmed.

Jahangir Tareen and Dr Anwarul Haq are also contesting from PP-295 and PP-293, respectively. Tareen will have two opponents Sardar Mushtaq Ahmed Khan (PPP) and Jam Mohammad Hassan Jhullan (MMA) while 10 candidates, including Ijaz Amir (PML-N), Eng Javed Akbar Dhillon (PPP), Anwarul Haq (MMA) and Mian Umar Khalid (PML-QA), will give tough time to Dr Anwarul Haq.