LAHORE, Sept 7: By-election to 26 seats of district, town and tehsil nazims and naib nazims in the Punjab, which fell vacant before the October 2002 general elections, will be held on Monday (today).

A majority of those who vacated their seats, however, could not reach the assemblies.

For today’s exercise, all the political parties have nominated their candidates although, on paper, the local elections are supposed to be on non-party basis.

Ruling party candidates are expected to win maximum number of seats because of the alleged support of the provincial as well as the district governments concerned.

Districts and tehsils where the elections are being held are: district naib nazims — Attock, Jhang, Gujrat, Faisalabad, Sargodha, Hafizabad, Pakpattan and Layyah, tehsil nazims —Gujrat, Rahimyar Khan, Pattoki and Kamoke and tehsil naib nazims — Jehanian, Samundri, Multan, Bahawalpur, Rahimyar Khan and Tandlianwala

Ravi Town: The PML-Q will face a tough competition from the opposition in the by-election for the office of Ravi Town Nazim and Naib Nazim..

The ruling party has nominated City District Government coordinator Amir Munir and Mehr Mohammed Asif for the slot of Nazim and Naib Nazim, respectively.

The PML-N, PPP and the JI have nominated District Council member and Punjab PML-N secretary-general Khwaja Saad Rafiq’s younger brother Salman Rafiq as their joint candidate for the Nazim office. Malik Sarfraz of the JI will contest for Naib Nazimship.

While District Nazim Mian Amer has warned the candidates against the use of money and official influence in the election campaign, a delegation of opposition leaders called on provincial law minister Raja Basharat and alleged that police officials were pressing the councillors to vote in favour of the government-backed PML-Q candidates.

Over 600 union council Nazims, Naib Nazims and councillors of 30 union councils will cast votes for the election of the Town Nazim and Naib Nazim.

Ravi Town Nazim’s office fell vacant after the murder of Aftab Asghar Dar (PML-N) early last year. Naib Nazim Mian Mujtaba Shujaur Rahamn acted as Nazim for a few months. Qaiser Amin Butt of the PML-Q was elected Town Nazim but he resigned for contesting the Punjab Assembly election along with Naib Nazim Ian Mujtaba Shujaur Rehman held in October last year.

The town municipal officer held the charge of Nazim’s office for a few months after the resignation of Qaiser Amin. Malik Amer Guddoo, a union council Nazim, was elected acting Town Nazim in June this year with the support of district Nazim Mian Amer. —Reporter