NAROWAL: PPP, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) and PML-N candidates for Azad Kashmir Legislative Assembly constituency LA-37 are the main contenders for the July 25 polls.

In Narowal district, the LA-37-Jammu 4 falls.

In all, 12 candidates are contesting and of them, the main contenders are PPP’s Mazhar Yousuf, PTI’s Muhammad Akmal Sargala, and PML-N’s Siddique Chaudhry.

Sargala’s father Muhammad Hussain Sargala was a member of the Azad Kashmir Legislative Assembly. After the death of his father, now Akmal Sargala is the candidate.

PML-N’s Siddique was elected the Azad Kashmir Legislative Assembly member once.

PTI and PML-N candidates are campaigning day and night.

Prior to the elections, local PTI leaders were divided into different groups. Now, they are united in the electioneering.

Mian Rasheed, former MLA, is also doing his best to make the PTI candidate successful. Mian Rasheed’s wife and son have also been elected MLAs from the same constituency.

Federal Parliamentary Secretary and MNA Wajih Akram and former district nazim Javed Safdar Kahlon are also using their political influence for the PTI candidate.

Provincial Minister for Religious Affairs and Endowments Pir Syed Saeed Al-Hassan, whose constituency is also Zafarwal, is also working day and night for the PTI candidate.

Former federal minister Tariq Anis Chaudhry is also reaching out to voters for the success of Sargala.

Also, Sargala has the support of the Pakistan Awami Tehreek.

MPA Maulana Ghiasuddin is manipulating political and religious issues for the success of his son Muhammad Rabieh in LA-37.

PML-N’s Siddique is banking on traditional PML-N voters. PML-N Secretary-General Ahsan Iqbal is seen addressing election rallies and corner meetings two days a week for the party candidates.

Also, PML-N leader Daniyal Aziz, MPAs Rana Manan Khan, Bilal Akbar and Khwaja Muhammad Wasim Butt and former adviser to the CM Shujaat Ahmad Khan are also increasingly participating in the election campaign.

PPP’s Mazhar Yousuf is also engaged in political maneuvering to win the LA-37 seat.

Published in Dawn, July 18th, 2021