GUJRAT: The wife of former Punjab Assembly secretary Muhmmad Khan Bhatti has been nominated as a candidate for the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) from NA-69 (Malakwal-Qadirabad) constituency of Mandi Bahauddin.

The PTI has nominated three women from different national and provincial assembly constituencies in the district where election symbols have been issued to total eight women candidates.

Kausar Parveen, the spouse of Mr Bhatti, has been fielded against two-time former MNA Nasir Iqbal Bosal of the PML-N and a former federal minister Nazar Muhammad Gondal, who is contesting as an independent candidate in the Feb 8 polls.

Fakhar Umar Lalika of the PPP, Saleh Muhammad Ranjha of the Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) are also contesting from NA-69.

Nephew of imprisoned confidant of Parvez also a party aspirant

Mr Bhatti is in jail for the last many months in different cases lodged against him on corruption charges, while his nephew and an ex-MPA, Sajid Ahmed Bhatti, who was the PML-Q parliamentary leader in the last house of the Punjab Assembly, has been given a PTI ticket from PP-42 (Qadirabad).

Khalid Ranjha of the PML-N, Fakhar Umar Hayat of the PPP, Muhammad Azam of the JI and ex-MPA Gulraiz Afzal Chan are also in the race for PP-42.

A former PML-Q MPA, Basima Riaz Chaudhry, a niece of ex-premier Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, has been awarded a PTI ticket from PP-41 (Phalia), where at least four other former MPAs -- Tariq Yaqoob Rizvi of the PML N, Asif Basheer Bhagat of the PPP, Tariq Tarrar and Munawwar Tarrar – are also contesting. Ms Rehana Gul, an independent candidate, is the only woman in the contest for PP-41.

Another woman, Zarnab Sher, the wife of former PPP MPA Tariq Mehmood Sahi, has been nominated by the PTI from PP-40 (Mandi Bahauddin city), where she is facing Ms Hameeda Waheedudin, a former Punjab minister of the PML-N. The PPP has fielded Zohaibul Hassan as its candidate from the constituency.

Qaisara Elahi, the wife of former Punjab chief minister Chaudhry Parvez Elahi, is also among the aspirants from NA-69. However, she is not running the campaign in the this constituency after being nominated by the PTI from NA-64 (Gujrat-Kunjah).

In PP-43 (Malakwal), the PTI has nominated a newcomer, Nawaz Panjutha, against ex-MPA Akhtar Hussain Bosal of the PML-N. Ex-MPAs Waseem Afzal Chan and Arif Gondal are also in the run as independent candidates.

In NA-68 (Mandi Bahauddin-Phalia) ex-MNA Haji Imtiaz Gujjar has again been nominated by PTI against Mushahid Raza Gujjar of the PML-N, whereas ex-MPA Asif Basheer Bhagat of the PPP, former federal minister Mumtaz Ahmed Tarrar, an independent and Raiz Farooq Sahi of JI are also contesting.

Veteran parliamentarian Mumtaz Tarrar, who had been thrice elected as an MNA on a PML-N ticket, but did not contest the poll in 2018 because the party had fielded Mushahid Raza, has again entered the electoral arena from the constituency, but as an independent candidate.

Published in Dawn, January 24th, 2024