TOBA TEK SINGH: The PPP is the only party among three major ones which has failed to field a panel of candidates for chairman and vice chairman in the 85 union councils (UCs) of the district or nominate a candidate for councillor slots in 30 wards of Toba Municipal Committee.

The PML-N fielded maximum panels of candidates for chairman and vice chairman in 74 out of the 85 UCs, while the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) fielded in 56.

Pakistan National Muslim League (PNML), headed by former MNA Amjad Ali Warraich, nominated panels in 11 UCs of the district, the Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) in four UCs, Jamaat-i-Islami three, PML-F and Awami Workers Party (AWP) two each.

In Toba city municipal committee’s 30 wards, both PML-N and PTI have fielded candidates in 27 wards. PNML and PML-F put forward candidates in four wards each, while Pakistan Justice Party has put up candidates in three wards and PAT one.

Prominent candidates include former district nazim and central PTI leader Chaudhry Muhammad Ashfaq for chairman’s slot in UC-30; Fauzia Khalid, the wife of PML-N MNA Khalid Warraich, for chairwoman in UC-10 on a PML-N ticket, and former MPA Sardar Masood Gadhi, brother of PML-N MPA Sardar Ayub Gadhi, PML-N candidate for chairman in UC-41.

PML-N to contest in 74 of 85 UCs

Former Kamalia tehsil nazim Mahmoodul Hasan Jat is also contesting for a councillor’s slot in Kamalia Municipal Committee ward on a PTI ticket. Sardar Farhan Saeed, son of the late PML-N MPA Sardar Saeed Gujjar, is contesting as an independent candidate for councillor in Kamalia Municipal Committee ward.

PTI Punjab Organiser Chaudhry Sarwar’s nephew, Najaf Riazullah, is contesting on a PML-N ticket from Pirmahal’s UC-79 for chairman against PTI ticket-holder Ayaz Kashif. When Sarwar had visited his hometown Pirmahal a week ago, he had urged voters to vote only for the PTI.

Former district PTI president Dr Waheed Akbar is contesting as an independent candidate for chairman of UC-31 against another independent Sohail Abbas, who is backed by Chaudhry Ashfaq. Naeem Fateh, son of renowned farmers leader and AWP federal council member Chaudhry Fateh Muhammad, is a candidate from UC-55.

Election has been postponed in Toba city’s ward 27 after the death of independent candidate Tariq Gujjar. There will be no polling for chairman’s slot in three rural UCs, as former tehsil nazim Syed Akhtar Kirmani of the PML-N in UC-62, independent candidate Ghulam Murtaza Kharal in UC-63 and independent Pir Ali Baba in UC-77, nephew of former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani and caretaker of Pir Qatal Ali Shah shrine, have been elected unopposed.

Also elected unopposed are two candidates for councillor in UC-66, a ward councillor in UC-68, two ward councillors in UC-75, in UC-79 and -80 six councillors each and UC-77 five councillors.

District Election Commissioner Mian Akbar Ali said all arrangements have been made for the elections. The Election Commission of Pakistan has appointed a district returning officer, 19 returning officers and 38 assistant returning officers. In addition, there will be 2,684 polling officers and 4,837 assistant polling officers for 1,082 polling stations. Out of these, 292 stations each have been assigned for men and women as well as 498 joint polling stations; 2,684 polling booths have also been set up.

There are 345 panels of candidates for chairman and vice chairman slots in 85 union councils and 1,447 candidates for councillor in the 85 rural UCs. In cities, there are 118 wards, out of which 30 are in Toba city, 36 in Gojra city, 34 in Kamalia city and 18 in Pirmahal city. For these 118 urban wards, there are 666 candidates in the run for councillor’s slots. A total of 1.18 million voters will cast their votes in the district with 667,522 of them being men and 512,672 women.

District Coordination Officer Amer Ijaz Akbar and District Police Officer Rana Shahzad Akbar said 92 polling stations have been declared sensitive where extra security arrangements were made, while army personnel will be deputed at all polling stations.

PTI leader Chaudhry Ashfaq alleged pre-poll rigging was going on and all government officers of the district were campaigning for PML-N candidates. Funds worth millions of rupees were placed on disposal of ruling party candidates who had construction work started in wards and UCs to gather votes. No tenders were floated for these schemes, he added.

He further said there is no local as a district returning officer (DRO) and Punjab Saaf Pani Project’s Chief Executive Officer Waseem Ajmal was appointed the DRO here. His office is in Lahore and he came here on a few occasions only.

Published in Dawn, November 17th, 2015