SIALKOT: Troops on Tuesday patrolled the roads in the sensitive areas of Sialkot, Daska, Sambrial and Pasrur to ensure law and order a day before the general election.

Sialkot Deputy Commissioner Muhammad Tahir Wattoo, officials of police and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) visited several polling stations and reviewed arrangements.

The district administration has declared 158 polling stations sensitive, advising the officials to take measures to ensure free and fair election. There are five National Assembly and 11 Punjab Assembly constituencies and 1,862 polling stations have been set up.

The deputy commissioner said 158 polling stations had been included in A Category, 1,018 (B Category) and 686 (C Category). There are 233,4498 registered voters in Sialkot.

Political observers say there will be tough contests on all the seats and even independent candidates will have a reasonable chunk of votes.

They say the incarceration of Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz can win them sympathy votes.

The PML-N has fielded Chaudhry Armughan Subhani in NA-72, Sialkot-I, Khwaja Muhammad Asif in NA-73, Sialkot-II, Syed Iftikharul Hassan Shah in NA-75, Sialkot-IV and Rana Shamim Ahmed Khan in NA-76, Sialkot-V.

Khwaja Asif says the PML-N will get landslide victory in the election. Chaudhry Armughan says despite denial of level playing field, the PML-N is in a very strong position.

PTI’s Umer Dar, Usman Dar and Dr Firdous are also optimistic about the party’s good performance in the elections.In NA-72, Sialkot-I, PML-N’s Chaudhry Armughan Subhani, PTI’s Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan and independent candidate Mian Naeem Javaid are in the run. Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan, then a PPP candidate, was defeated by Armughan in the 2013 general election.

In NA-73, Sialkot-II, a tough contest is expected between PML-N candidate Khwaja Asif and PTI’s Usman Dar. Also in the run are PPP’s Zarar Mahmood Malik and independent candidates.In Pasrur city’s constituency (NA-74, Sialkot-III), PML-N’s candidate Ali Zahid Hamid, PTI’s Chaudhry Ghulam Abbas and independent candidates Chaudhry Munawar Ali Gill (a PML-N dissident) and Olympian Muhammad Asif Bajwa (a PTI dissident) are contesting the polls.

For Daska city’s NA-75, Sialkot-IV, PML-N’s Syed Iftikharul Hassan Shah and PTI’s Ali Asjad Malhi are considered the main contenders.

Another interesting contest is between PML-N’s Rana Shamim Ahmed Khan and PTI’s retired Brig Muhammad Aslam for Sambrial city’s constituency NA-76, Sialkot-V. Rana Shamim has thrice won this seat.

Published in Dawn, July 25th, 2018