SIALKOT: The PML-N and PTI are the main contesters in Daska’a constituency NA-75 (Sialkot-IV) despite the political hurdles being created by their dissidents. The politicians who could not get tickets of these two parties are in the contest as independent candidates against the candidates of their own parties.

However, the PML-N has an edge over the PTI regarding the selection of candidates as the latter has nominated those who have lost contacts with their electorates due to their settlement in Lahore while the former’s candidates are comparatively more rooted in the constituency.

The local political analysts think the PTI candidates lack the mass contacts in Daska city’s both national and provincial assembly constituencies as they have returned to their city’s politics after a big gap.

PTI’s Lahore-based candidates may prove to be weaklings

In NA-75, the PML-N has fielded, once again, its stalwart former MNA Syed Iftikharul Hassan Shah against the PTI’s Ali Asjad Malhi who was the state minister in the PML-Q government during the Musharraf regime.

Mr Shah has been an MNA for four times and MPA for as many terms and is stated to be trustworthy and loyal companion of the Sharifs. He faced all the pressure during the Musharraf regime but did not quit the PML-N.

The PTI’s Malhi is back in the city’s politics after a gap of 10 years as he has settled in Lahore. The observers think that he has contacts with the local people that are not as strong as those of his opponent because he remained missing from the political scene for long.

After failing to get the PTI ticket, Usman Khalid is now contesting the election as an independent candidate which is going to harm the vote bank of the party.

TLP’s candidate Arsalan Zafar, MMA’s Kashan Haider and Dr Zaheerul Hassan Rizvi of the PPP are also showing their political muscles.

Besides the abovementioned candidates, six independent candidates are in the run for the National Assembly constituency. They are Chaudhry Mumtaz Ali, Rauf Ahmed Bajwa, Abdul Rauf, Abdul Waheed Mayo, Usman Abid and Muhammad Attiq Rafiq.

In Daska city’s provincial assembly constituency PP-42 (Sialkot-VIII), both the PML-N and PTI have fielded their candidates belonging to the Arain clan. The PML-N has nominated Mian Zeeshan Rafiq by dropping former MPA Muhammad Asif Bajwa against the PTI’s Chaudhry Sadaqat Ali.

The PTI’s Ali, a former MPA, has returned to Daska’s politics after a big gap of 21 years. He had settled in Lahore after facing defeat in 1997 general election. He is bound to face a challenge of renewing contacts with his constituents.

After being denied a ticket by the PML-N, Muhammad Asif Bajwa (former MPA) is now fully supporting the anti-PML-N candidates.

On the other hand, the PTI’s dissident, Ziaullah Khara, after failing to get a party ticket, was now contesting the polls as an independent candidate against his former party’s candidate Sadaqat Ali. Mr Khara will definitely take a share from the PTI votes which would benefit the PML-N.

Besides these three candidates, there are nine other candidates in the election for PP-42. They are Hassan Pervaiz (PPP), Riaz Ibrar (MMA), Muhammad Shahid(TLP), Mirza Shahid Sadiq (Allah-o-Akbar Tehreek) and five independent candidates former MPA Chaudhry Mumtaz Ali(younger brother of PTI candidate Sadaqat Ali), Rana Muhammad Imran, Abdul Rauf, Ms Attia and Muhammad Asif.

FINED: Deputy Commissioner Muhammad Tahir Wattoo has imposed a fine of Rs0.6m on 21 persons, including local government representatives and election candidates, for violating the code of conduct of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and participating in election meetings violating the official ban imposed by the commission in the district.

Mr Wattoo said Rs50,000 fine has been imposed each on Chaudhry Raza Subhani, Chaudhry Jamil Ashraf Baryar (vice chairmen of Sialkot District Council), Khawaja Atif Raza Khan (chairman Municipal Committee Daska), Ch Naseer Ahmed (vice chairman UC Ahmedpura Sialkot City), Ch Risalat Gujjar (chairman UC Bambaanwala-Daska), Ch Mukhtar Ahmed Bal(chairman UC Gojra-Daska), Malik Sarfraz Ahmed (chairman UC Shahabpura-Sialkot) and Qamar Zaman Butt (vice chairman UC Shahabpura-Sialkot), Rs20,000 fine each on Muhammad Afzal Mansha, Rana Mushtaq, Samiullah (councilors from Daska city) and Haji Naseem Butt (UC Ahmedpura Sialkot), Rs15,000 each on Muhammad Rafiq Mughal (chairman UCKotli Behram-Sialkot), Ziaullah Khara (an independent candidate in Daska’s PP 42) and Ch Muhammad Latif (chairman UC Kundanpur-Sialkot), Rs10,000 each on Chaudhry Muhammad Shehbaz (vice chairman UC Kundanpur), Imtiaz Gill (chairman UC Talwandi-Pasrur) , Ch Muhammad Afzaal (chairman UC Aadamkey Nagra-Pasrur) and Muhammad Aslam Rana (chairman UC Kapoorpur-Sialkot) and Rs5,000 fine on Ms Durdana (councilor Kotli Behram),. They have paid their fines and received final official warnings from the district administration of Sialkot and senior officials of the ECP.

Published in Dawn, July 9th, 2018