GUJAR KHAN, March 22: During the eight-month-long premiership of Raja Pervez Ashraf, his home constituency of Gujar Khan saw unprecedented development.

Even political opponents of Mr Ashraf in their private meetings admit that the development projects launched in the area during this period were unparalleled.

Mr Ashraf launched the projects to provide basic facilities like drinking water, gas and road links to remote villagers.

The opening of a passport office, construction of an underpass at the railway road, linking of G.T. Road with the motorway through a dual carriageway from Mandra-Chakwal and Sohawa-Chakwal highways, establishment of the virtual university and Comsats Institute of Information Technology campuses at Mandra, construction of a new block and boundary at Sarwar Shaheed Government College, provision of transport facilities to the students, lawyers, construction of a multi-storey block for Gujar Khan bar association and improvement of road infrastructure are the steps which the people of  this neglected tehsil will remember for long.

However, the behaviour of the electorate will be determined by the opponent candidates of the PML-N, Tehrik-i-Insaf (PTI) and the Pakistan Awami Tehrik in the forthcoming general elections.

So far, Raja Jawaid Ikhlas and Chaudhry Mohammad Riaz of PML-N are the main contenders for NA-51 ticket while Chaudhry Mohammad Azeem and Raja Farahat Faheem Bhatti are in the race for the PTI ticket.

Raja Jawaid Ikhlas, a former district nazim, has rejoined the PML-N after quitting the PML-Q.

During the previous elections, his son Qasim Jawaid Ikhlas bagged about 76,000 votes against over 80,000 votes of Raja Pervez Ashraf.

Chaudhry Mohammad Riaz of the PML-N secured over 50,000 votes.

This time again, old rivals are going to contest elections from NA-51 but it is expected that Raja Pervez Ashraf would prove a hard nut to crack for his rivals.