LAHORE: Retired Col Mubashir Javaid has emerged as a dark horse in the race for the office of Lahore’s lord mayor as much-tipped candidate Khwaja Ahmed Hassaan has reportedly been conveyed not to submit his candidature for the coveted slot.

The polling for the mayoral contest in Punjab is scheduled for Dec 22 and nominations may be filed on Dec 11 and 12.

Col Mubashir, so far a less known name in the party circles, has been elected against a seat reserved for technocrats and is considered a friend of National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq and PML-N Lahore chapter president MNA Pervaiz Malik.

A senior party leader told Dawn that Col Mubashir was interviewed by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in Islamabad on Tuesday, besides other hopefuls for the office.— AM

Published in Dawn, December 7th, 2016