July 31, 2007	Tuesday	Rajab 15, 1428

SIALKOT, July 30: The Pakistan People’s Party has finally announced candidates for all the five seats of national assembly. In Sialkot city’s main electoral constituency (NA-110), the party has fielded its city chief Chaudhry Zahid Bashir against PML-N MNA Khwaja Muhammad Asif, who is expected to be a strong candidate of PML-N in the coming general elections.

Khwaja Asif has been elected as MNA for the third consecutive time. Sialkot-based exporter and Chairman of Punjab Chief Minister’s Task Force for Industries, Mian Muhammad Riaz, is expected to be ruling PML candidate against Khwaja Asif and Zahid Bashir. In the last elections, Kh Asif had defeated ruling PML candidate Mian Riaz with a big margin.

In NA-111, the PPP has fielded MNA Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan, who recently joined the party, against National Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Ameer Husain. The PML-N is likely to field Idrees Ahmad Bajwa against Chaudhry Ameer Husain and Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan.

In NA-112, the PPP has nominated Col (retired) Sultan Sikandar Ghuman while former MPA Rana Shamim Ahmad is likely to be a candidate of PML-N. The ruling PML is considering Azeem Noori Ghuman, MPA and Chairman of Punjab Public Accounts Committee, for this constituency.

No candidate has been selected for NA-113 while the PML-N is likely to field former MNA Sahibzada Syed Iftikharul Hassan Shah.

In NA-114, PPP Punjab secretary-general Chaudhry Ghulam Abbas has been nominated against ruling PML’s Zahid Hamid, Federal Minister for Investment and Privatisation.