GUJRAT: A tough contest is expected between the candidates of ruling PTI and opposition PML-N on all the four seats of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJ&K) Legislative Assembly in the Gujranwala region.

Aspirants belonging to PPP, TLP, JI, Muslim Conference and some independents are also in the run for these seats comprising emigrants from Jammu settled in the six districts of the region. The elections are scheduled for July 25.

The AJ&K assembly has five seats for Jammu emigrants across Pakistan and four of them are in Gujranwala region where candidates belonging to the party ruling in the Punjab government would win in the past.

Political analysts think the PML-N despite of being in the opposition is in a position to offer a stiff resistance since Gujranwala region is considered a strong bastion of the party.

LA 35 (Jammu 2) comprises Gujranwala (except Wazirabad tehsil) and Hafizabad districts as well as three tehsils of Sialkot district such as Sambrial, Daska and Pasrur whereas LA 36 comprises Kashmiri emigrants settled in Sialkot tehsil.

In LA 35 the main contest is expected between Chaudhary Ismail Gujjar of PML-N and Maqbool Ahmed Gujjar of PTI among 13 candidates.

Similarly, in LA 36 (Jammu 3- Sialkot tehsil), the contest is between Hafiz Hamid Raza of PTI and Muhammad Ishaq of PML-N among 12 aspirants.

The LA 37 (Jammu 4) comprises Kashmiri settlers in Narowal district where 10 candidates are in the race but the real showdown is between Muhammad Siddique Chaudhary of PML-N and Akmal Sargana of PTI.

LA 38 (Jammu 5) comprises Kashmiri settlers in Gujrat, Mandi Bahauddin and Wazirabad tehsil of Gujranwala district where eight candidates are in the race, including PTI-PML-Q’s Akbar Ibrahim and PML N’s Zeeshan Younis.

Meanwhile the federal government is yet to approve the deployment of Rangers in Punjab constituencies of AJ&K general elections despite being demanded by the concerned returning officers of the constituencies.

Majid Sharif Dogar, the regional election commissioner of Gujranwala division, told Dawn the deployment of rangers had been sought by the returning officers of the four seats and he himself had written twice to the concerned authorities in the AJ&K but so far there was no response.

Published in Dawn, July 16th, 2021