GUJRAT: At least 120 out of the total 357 nomination papers for four National Assembly and eight Punjab Assembly constituencies of Gujrat district have been filed by the candidates belonging to the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI).

Though most of these PTI affiliated candidates are considered as low profile or not having as much impact as that of the electables, but some former lawmakers or their close kin have also been among these hopefuls.

Sources in the PTI say the number of those affiliated with the party has soared as a precautionary measure by the party to tackle the situation or reduce the loss in case of rejection of the nomination papers of the front runners.

Four members of the Elahi family, namely PTI Central President Chaudhry Parvez Elahi, his son Moonis Elahi, wife Qaisara Elahi and her sister Sumaira Elahi, have filed papers from three constituencies, NA-64 (Gujrat-Kunjah), PP-32 (Kunjah) and PP-34 (Dinga-Mungowal).

Similarly, former provincial education minister Mian Imran Masood, his brother former Gujrat tehsil nazim Mian Haroon Masood and son Hashim Masood, who are also affiliated with the Parvez Elahi camp of the PTI, have filed their papers from PP-31 (Gujrat city). Ex-MPA Mian Akhtar Hayat filed papers from PP-34 and Ali Liaqat, the son of ex-PTI MPA Liaqat Bhadar, wants to contest election in PP-33.

Aafia Noreen, the wife of former PML-Q MPA Shujaat Nawaz Ajnala, who had reportedly been picked up by the law enforcement agencies a couple of weeks ago has also filed her nomination papers for PP-29 (Tanda-Karianwala).

Former PTI lawmakers, including Syed Faizul Hassan Shah of Kulewal Syedan and at least his six close relatives have filed their nomination papers for NA-65 (Lalamusa-Dinga) as well as ex-MPA Chaudhry Arshad and his nephew Noman Ashraf Chaudhry.

Thirty-four nomination papers have been filed for NA-62, the highest number of nominations among four NA constituencies of the district and the PTI has a strongest vote bank there. Out of 34, at least a dozen aspirants are affiliated with the PTI. In NA-63 (Jalalpur Jattan-Tanda) too, 13 PTI-affiliated candidates have filed their papers.

In the PP-33 (Lalamusa), which has highest number of nomination papers (48) filed, at least 15 are said to be from the PTI followed by around a dozen applications filed by the PML-N candidates. In PP-30 (Jalalpur Jattan), 40 nomination papers were filed out of which more than a dozen aspirants are said to be from the PTI affiliated aspirants.

Former PTI ticket holders from various constituencies of the district who had contested for the party in 2013 but could not get the tickets in 2018 due to the seat adjustment with the PML-Q have also filed their nomination papers.

Afzal Gondal, Chaudhry Zubair Tanda, Nasir Chappar advocate, Sharafat Hussain, Iftikhar Ahmed and some others are also among those former ticket holders.

The party sources say that after the issuance of the PTI tickets to the aspirants, most of the remaining aspirants belonging to the party may quit the race in support of the party nominees.

Published in Dawn, December 29th, 2023