February 21, 2008	Thursday	Safar 13, 1429

OKARA, Feb 20: The election 2008 had almost completely changed the district’s political scene, sending five candidates for the first time to the National Assembly on all lower house seats.

Out of the five NA seats, the Pakistan People’s Party has bagged three, all of them by big margin.

In NA-143, 144, and 145 PPP’s Capt Rai Ghulam Mujtaba kharl (retired), Chaudhry Sajjadul Hassan and Syed Sansam Ali Bukhari have one, respectively.

The remaining two seats – NA-146 and NA–147 – have been won by former Punjab chief minister Mian Manzoor Wattoo as an independent candidate under the banner of his Taameer-i-Watan Group which he had formed against Shah Muqeem Group led by former provincial minister Syed Afzaal Ali Shah Gillani.

Out of the nine provincial assembly constituencies, on five seats former MPAs have returned to the Punjab Assembly. They are Muhammad Ashraf Khan Sohna (PPP), Chaudhry Javid Ala-ud-Din (PPP). Similarly, PML-N’s Mian Yawar Zaman has returned to the PA again on a PML-N ticket. Syed Raza Ali Gillani, a former provincial minister won again on PML-Q ticket and a new face, a former Okara tehsil nazim, Nadeem Abbas Rubera Kharl has also won on PML-Q ticket.

Similarly, out the four winning independent candidates in PA constituencies, three are new faces, including Malik Ali Abbas Khokhar, the son of former MPA Malik Muhammad Abbas Khokhar.

Another independent candidate is Mian Muhammad Moeen Wattoo from PP-193, a former Zila Council chairman. The third is Ms Robina Shaheen Wattoo, a former PML-Q MNA, and daughter of Mian Manzoor Ahmed. The fourth independent candidate is Rai Farooq Omar Kharl who was a PML-Q MPA.

DIES: A youth died here on Tuesday night in a road accident during People’s Student Federation’s rally held to celebrate PPP victory in the election.

Reports said the victim Shahzad (22) was participating in the PSF rally, attended by hundreds of students riding bikes.

His motorcycle rammed into a trolley parked at Benazir Avenue. He died on the spot.