JHANG, April 29: Canvassing has been started for by-elections in PP-82 Lalian, with the filing of nomination papers by ticket holders of the ruling PML, PPP and an independent hopeful.

The seat had fallen vacant after Imtiaz Lali was disqualified in November last, and the election commission announced schedule for by-polls in the last week of April.

The ruling PML has awarded ticket to Ghulam Mohammad Lali, a former ally of Begum Abida Husain. Mr Lali had contested the 2002 general election from the platform of the ruling PML while Begum Abida Husain had contested for the National Assembly seat, NA-88, of which PP-82 is a segment. Ghulam Lali recently changed his loyalties from Abida Husain to Faisal Saleh Hayat in local politics.

So far as PPP is concerned, the party has fielded a young newcomer, Ahmed Umar Lali, who is a party office-bearer and a political disciple of PPP district president Qazi Ali Husain. In fact, the latter has been mainly instrumental in persuading the former to contest the election.

A workers’ meeting was held at the residence of Qazi Ali Husain on Thursday to evolve some strategy for the election campaign. The meeting was also attended by party’s provincial secretary-general Ghulam Abbas and divisional coordinator Raja Riaz Ahmed. Begum Abida Husain can also influence the by-polls since she has a very large vote bank in this constituency. In fact, Abida had polled more votes than her opponent in this provincial segment of NA-88 during the 2002 general election.

She also had a meeting with Mr Ghulam Abbas and other party leaders at her residence on Thursday evening to discuss matters relating to the campaign.

Local political circles, however, do not anticipate a level playing-field for the PPP candidate because they fear that Faisal Saleh Hayat will try his utmost to get the ruling PML hopeful elected. The PPP, otherwise, strong in this area, will be fighting with their back to the wall despite all-out support of Abida Husain. — Correspondent