GUJRAT: There will be a three-way fight between the political bigwigs in NA-70 (Lalamusa-Dinga) where the PML-N’s Jaafar Iqbal Fatta Bhand is up against the PPP stalwart Qamar Zaman Kaira and Syed Faizul Hassan Shah of Kulewal, the joint candidate of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) and PML-Q.

As all the three candidates are equally strong, the lady luck can smile on any one of them.

Though the Kairas and the Kulewals (who previously remained in the PML-N and PML-Q) have been the traditional rivals in the constituency but in 2013 Jaafar Iqbal was elected as the MNA from there by defeating Kaira and Noorul Hassan Shah, an independent candidate.

Mr Shah was the runner-up whereas Kaira stood third while the PTI’s Mian Afzal Hayat remained fourth in NA-70, which was then NA-106.

The Kulewal group’s Manzoor Hussain Shah had been elected as MNA against the Kairas of the PPP in 1985, 1990 and 1997 being an IJI and PML-N candidate.

The Kairas won the seat four times as Haji Asghar Kaira won in 1988 and 1993 while his nephew Qamar won in 2002 and 2008.

The PML-N’s Jaafar Iqbal first appeared on the political scene in 2002 as a PML-N candidate from PP-113 (Dinga) and again contested from the same seat in 2008. In both elections, he remained a runner-up against the then PML-Q’s Mian Tariq Mehmood (2008) and his daughter Maria Tariq (2002).

When Tariq joined the PML-Q forward block in 2009 to support the then Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, the PML-N promised him a party ticket for 2013 election due to which the party nominated Jaafar for National Assembly which resulted in annoyance of the Kulewals who joined the PTI.

The MMA has fielded a former union council nazim, Irfan Ahmed Safi, from Lalamusa city as its candidate for NA-70.

In PP-32 (Dinga, according to the new delimitations), the six times MPA Tariq is up against retired DIG Mian Akhter Hayat of the PTI, the younger brother of former caretaker Punjab Chief Minister Mian Afzal Hayat of Kolian Shah Hussain.

Though there has been a seat adjustment between the PTI and PML-Q across the Gujrat district according to which NA-70 and its two PA seats (PP-32 and PP-33) have been given to the PTI but Ijaz Ranian has also filed nomination papers as a PML-Q nominee from PP-32 whereas a former UC nazim, Mian Idrees Ahmed, a close kin of Mian Tariq, is also in the race as the MMA’s candidate.

In PP-33 (Lalamusa), the PML-N has announced Shabeer Kotla as its candidate after ex-MPA Ashraf Deona joined the PTI.

The PTI has awarded a ticket to ex-MPA Liaqat Bhadar from the constituency whereas former Punjab finance minister and senior PPP leader Tanveer Ashraf Kaira and MMA’s Ziaullah Shah advocate have also been in the race on this seat.

Published in Dawn, June 22nd, 2018