ECP finally releases list of nominees for Feb 8 polls

Iftikhar A. Khan Published January 22, 2024

QUETTA: A street is festooned with flags of various political parties, on Sunday. Electioneering is slowly gaining momentum in Quetta and some other cities after the process for submission of nomination papers, issuance of candidates’ lists and allotment of poll symbols is complete. However, electioneering in most parts of the country is still quite lukewarm.—AFP

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ISLAMABAD: With the general elections a little over two weeks away, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Sunday released the list of contesting candidates.

According to the ECP schedule, Jan 12 was the last date for withdrawal of candidature and publication of the revised list of candidates. However, it was delayed due to litigation.

On Feb 8, PML-N supreme leader Nawaz Sharif and PTI’s former provincial health minister Dr Yasmin Rashid will face off in NA-130, Lahore, in a heated electoral battle. Mr Sharif is also contesting from NA-15 (Mansehra) where the opponents include Gustasif Khan of the PTI and JUI-F’s Mufti Kifayatullah.

PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif will run from NA-123 (Lahore) and NA-132 (Kasur). In Lahore, he will face Afzaal Azeem of the PTI and Liaqat Baloch of the Jamaat-i-Islami (JI).

Issuance of the list got delayed owing to litigation

In Kasur, Mr Sharif’s rival candidates are Mohammad Ali Dogar of the PTI and Shaheen Safdar of the PPP. Maryam Nawaz will contest the election from NA-119 (Lahore), where she will be facing Mian Abaad Farooque of the PTI and Iftikhar Shahid of the PPP.

Similarly, Hamza Shehbaz, former Punjab chief minister and Shehbaz Sharif’s son, is vying for NA-118 (Lahore), where he will be up against vocal PTI leader and former parliamentary secretary Aliya Hamza, Mohammad Afzal Khan of the JUI-F, and Shahid Abbas of the PPP. Maryam and Hamza are also contesting on provincial assembly seats from Lahore.

Ex-president Asif Ali Zardari will contest elections from NA-207 (Shaheed Benazirabad). He will face Sardar Sher Mohammad Rind Baloch of the PTI.

His son and PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari is contesting the elections from three NA constituencies: two from his home province of Sindh and one from NA-127 Lahore, where he will be facing PML-N’s Ataullah Tarar and Chaudhry Shabbir Gujjar of the PTI.

In NA-194 (Larkana), he will be facing Maulana Rashid Mahmood Soomro of the JUI-F and PTI Senator Saifullah Abro, whereas Habibullah of the PTI will be challenging him in NA-196 (Qambar Shahdadkot).

Former prime minister Yusuf Raza Gilani will vie for NA-148 (Multan) where he will face PTI’s Barrister Taimur Malik and PML-N’s Ahmad Hussain.

In NA-151 (Multan), his son Ali Moosa Gilani will contest polls against Mehr Bano Qureshi, daughter of PTI leader Shah Mehmood Qureshi. In NA-149 (Multan), Jehangir Tareen of the Istehkam-i-Pakistan Party (IPP) and Amir Dogar of the PTI will come face to face.

In NA-122 (Lahore), Khawaja Saad Rafiq is expected to have a tough contest with PTI’s Sardar Latif Khosa. In NA-128 Lahore), PTI-backed Salman Akram Raja will face IPP’s Mohammad Aun Saqlain.

Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman is vying for two NA seats — NA-44 Dera Ismail Khan in KP and NA-265 Pishin-cum-Ziarat in Balochistan. In D.I. Khan, he will be facing PTI’s Ali Amin Gandapur and PPP’s Faisal Karim Kundi. In Pishin, his rivals include Syed Zahoor Agha of the PTI.

In NA-241 (Karachi) Dr Farooq Sattar will be facing PTI’s Khurram Sher Zaman. In NA-242 (Karachi), MQM leader Mustafa Kamal will face Qadir Khan Mandokhel of the PPP and PTI’s Dawa Khan.

In NA-54 (Rawalpindi), two former federal ministers and traditional rivals Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan (independent) and Ghulam Sarwar of the IPP will come face to face again. Azar Masood of PTI is also in the race. In NA-56 (Rawalpindi), Awami Muslim League chief Sheikh Rashid and PML-N’s Hanif Abbasi are vying for the NA seat. PTI’s Shahryar Riaz is also a candidate from the constituency.

PTI leader Gohar Ali Khan is contesting from NA-10 (Buner) against former PTI MNA Sher Akbar Khan, who is vying for the seat from PTI-P platform. Former minister Omar Ayub Khan is contesting from NA-18 (Haripur) against Babar Nawaz of the PML-N. Former NA speaker Asad Qaiser of the PTI is running the race for NA-19 (Swabi).

Aimal Wali Khan, ANP’s KP chapter president and grandson of the late Wali Khan, is contesting against Maulana Gohar Shah of the JUI-F in NA-25 (Charsadda).

PTI-P chief Pervez Khattak is vying for NA-33 (Nowshera) besides two provincial assembly seats in the same district, where PTI has fielded Syed Shahid Ali Shah as its candidate.

Published in Dawn, January 22nd, 2024

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