SARGODHA: In a rare move, five women are contesting for National Assembly seats from Sargodha, including one fielded by MMA.

Their direct election bid is significant in the sense there are a few pockets in the district where women are not encouraged to vote.

Laliani village in Kot Momen tehsil is on top in this respect where women are not permitted to elect their candidates. The village having two union councils has over 1000 registered women voters. Similarly some clans in Miani area of Bhera tehsil

also impose restrictions on their women.

Some NGOs and district administration claim that they did launch a campaign in Laliani to sensitize elders to allow women to cast vote but they were not sure if they would succeed.

Traditionally, Baloch, Ranjhas, Cheemas and Arain are the dominant castes who decide the fate of five national and 10 Punjab assembly seats falling in the district.

Prominent figures like Nadeem Afzal Chan, Hamid Hameed, Javed Hussnain Shah, Zafar Qureshi, Amer Sultan Cheema are among 187 candidates in the run.

While major political parties have fielded candidates, the surprise entrant is Tehreek-e-Labaik Pakistan which is running for three NA and eight PA seats.

The PML-Q has no nominee in the entire Sargodha division, which is rather surprising.

Hafiz Talha Saeed, son of Hafiz Saeed Ahmad, is contesting under the banner of Allah ho Akbar Tehreek.The PML-N which swept the last poll faces tough competition from PTI.

Published in Dawn, July 25th, 2018