KASUR: There are many interesting features of the upcoming general election and one of these is the participation of retired bureaucrats and servicemen in Kasur.

In the rural background, they are considered quite resourceful to have influence on the voters.

Seven such contestants -- five retired bureaucrats and two ex-army officers -- are trying their luck in Kasur where there are four constituencies of the National Assembly and nine of the Punjab Assembly.

For NA-137, former chief secretary Javed Mahmood who heads a party Roshan Pakistan League is in the political arena and faces former foreign minister Sardar Aseff Ahmed Ali, PPP’s ex-MNA Chaudhry Manzoor Ahmed and PML-N’s Saad Waseem (son of former MNA Sheikh Waseem Akhtar). A total of 17 candidates will contest this seat.

Another important constituency is PP-181 where retired DIG of Punjab Police Rana Muhammad Aslam Khan is among the candidates. He has been fielded by the PTI and will have a contest with former PA speaker Rana Muhammad Iqbal (PML-N), Noor Ahmed Khan (MMA), Humayoun Majeed (PPP) and his close relative Nadeem Riaz who is a nominee of the Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP).

Retired Maj Muhammad Ijaz Khan is in the race on the TLP ticket for PP-179. His competitors include his brother Pir Mukhtar Ahmed of the PTI, former MPA Anwar Mahmood of the PML-N, Amjad Meo of the PPP and Rana Mumtaz Ahmed, an independent candidate. Ijaz Khan also has two serving bureaucrats in his family; a district revenue officer and a district food controller.

For PP-181and NA-139, towering political figures Rana Muhammad Iqbal Khan and Sardar Asif Nakai had remained officers in the police and revenue departments respectively. Asif Nakai, a former PML-Q legislator, is contesting the general election as an independent candidate after being denied the PTI ticket (that was awarded to Dr Azeemudin Zahid Lakhvi).

In PP-177, retired Col Muhammad Hashim Dogar is representing the PTI. He will face Waqas Hassan Mokal, an independent candidate, and Ahsan Raza of the PML-N. Mokal aspired the PTI ticket after quitting the PML-Q but he was denied it and he joined the PML-N where too he had to face disappointment.

Eventually he decided to contest election as an independent candidate. He is the son of former deputy speaker and provincial minister Hassan Akhtar Mokal who remained in the Punjab Assembly for six consecutive terms.

PML-N’s former MPA Anees Qureshi is the father of DIG Babar Bakht. Mr Bakht had recently been warned by the ECP over a complaint of “undue influence in the constituency”. Mr Qureshi is contesting as an independent candidate in PP-178 after refusal of the PML-N ticket that was awarded to Malik Ahmed Saeed.

For NA-138, retired DSP Dawood Qureshi, son of Anees Qureshi, is also contesting as an independent candidate after the PML-N refused ticket. The ticket was awarded to Malik Rasheed Ahmed.

Published in Dawn, July 2nd, 2018