OKARA: Jahan Ara Wattoo, daughter of PPP leader Manzoor Wattoo, and former provincial minister Syed Raza Ali Gilani have decided to move the Lahore High Court against rejection of their nomination papers for PP-184 (Okara-2).

Returning Officer/senior civil judge Faisal Jameel upheld the objections from their rivals that Jahan Ara was a dual national while Gilani did not mention in his nomination papers a luxury car and some agricultural land.

Gilani is in the race for PP-184 as an independent candidate due to his differences with former PML-N MNA Rao Muhammad Ajmal Khan. Former CM and PML-N president Shahbaz Sharif had tried to reconcile them during his visit to Okara last month but failed.

There are 21 candidates for this seat. Other prominent contender is Syeda Mamnat Mohsin, popularly known as Jugnoo Mohsin. She hails from the Kirmani family which has significant following in the area.

Meanwhile, for the eight Punjab Assembly seats from Okara, there are 158 candidates, including five women.

For PP-183, the number of contenders are 16. Prominent among them are former PML-N MPA Ch Javed Allauddin, former PML-N MNA Syed Ashiq Hussain Kirmani, former MPA and tehsil nazim of Renala Khurd Malik Muhammad Akram Bhatti, Mahr Javed Iqbal Bhonana of PTI, Rana Abdul Rehman of PPP. Ashiq Kirmani and Javed Allauddin are struggling for the PML-N ticket. For PP-185, prominent among 25 aspirants are former PML-N MPA Ch Iftikhar Husain Chahchar, former provincial minister Raza Ali Gilani, former MNA Rubina Shaheen Wattoo D/o Mian Manzoor Ahmed Khan Wattoo and Muhammad Qasim Bhatti of PPP.

In PP-186, known among the 20 applicants are former MPAs Dewan Ikhlaq Ahmed, Mian Khurrum Jahangir Wattoo, former MNAs Mian Muhamamd Mueen Khan Wattoo, Rao Muhammad Ajmal Khan, Mian Manzoor Ahmed Khan Wattoo, Rubina Shaheen Wattoo, Mian Noorul Amin Wattoo and PPP backed Sardar Ali Haider Khan Wattoo.

For PP-187, prominent are former MPA Malik Ali Abbas Khokhar, PTI district president Ch Tariq Irshad Khan, Sardar Shahryar Moakkal, Bilal Umer Bodla, PML-N activist and former chairman of Dipalpur MC Syed Zahid Hussain Gilani.

For PP-188, prominent contenders are former provincial minister Mian Yawar Zaman, Ch Abdullah Tahir of PTI.

For PP-189, known aspirants include former provincial minister and PTI labour wing chief Muhammad Ashraf Khan Sohna, former PTI ticket holder Ch Azhar Mahmood, present PTI ticket holder Ch Muhammad Saleem Sadiq, PML-N backed Ch Munibul Haq.

Ashraf Khan Sohna and other PTI activists left for Bani Gala on Thursday to protest against the leadership decision of awarding ticket to Ch Saleem.

For PP-190, prominent contenders are PTI’s Rai Hammad Aslam, PML-N’s Rai Ali Noor, Ch Ghulam Raza Rubera, MMA’s Dr Liaquat Ali Kausar, Arif Khan Lashari and Noorul Ain Rai, the wife of former PTI MPA Ch Masood Shafaq Rubera.

Published in Dawn, June 15th, 2018