BAHAWALPUR: Eight candidates -- four each for national and provincial assembly seats -- are contesting the July 25 election on the symbol of jeep in the district.

There are five National Assembly and 10 Punjab Assembly seats in Bahawalpur where 123 (41 NA and 82 PA) candidates are in the run.

Dawn learnt from 15 returning officers that the National Assembly candidates allotted jeep as symbol are Chaudhry Tariq Bashir Cheema (NA-171 Bahawalpur-2), Aleemullah Warraich (NA-172 Bahawalpur-3), Sahibzada Shahzain Abbasi (NA-173 Bahawalpur-4) and Prince Bahawal Abbasi, son of Nawab Salahuddin Abbasi (NA-174 Bahawalpur-5). The provincial candidates are Basharat Ali Randhawa (PP-249 Yazman), Mehboob Ahmad (PP-250), Sahibzada Shahzain Abbasi (PP-251) and Syed Ghulam Irtaza Shahjamali (PP-254 Ahmedpur East).

Eight women candidates are in the run on general seats -- they being Ms Shazia Noreen (APML) on NA-170 Bahawalpur-1, Ms Khadeja Aamir Warren (PTI) and Ms Rukhsana Jabeen (Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan), both on NA-173 Bahawalpur-4, Ms Shireen Arshad on NA-174 Bahawalpur-5, Ms Nasreen Anwar (independent candidate on PP-245 Bahawalpur-1), Ms Farzana Rauf (PTI) on PP-249 in Yazman, Ms Sana Habib (PML-Q ) on PP-252 Bahawalpur-8 and Ms Parveen Ata (independent) on PP-254 (Ahmedpur East, Bahawalpur-10).

ACCIDENT: A security guard of a fast food restaurant was killed while two other persons were injured when a car ran over them on Circular Road opposite the Quaid-i-Azam Medical College (QAMC) on Saturday midnight.

According to police and Rescue 1122 sources, a car recklessly driven by Muhammad Arsalan went out of control and hit a footpath where Mushtaq Ahmed, a guard on duty at a fast food outlet, was sitting. Two passersbys were injured. Mushtaq was take n to the Bahawal Victoria Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries while the condition of Sajjad and Shiraz Shah was stated to be critical.

The Kotwali police registered a case against the car driver who could not be arrested till Sunday evening.

Published in Dawn, July 9th, 2018