GUJRAT: The daughters of two veteran politicians of Hafizabad district, Afzal Hussain Tarar and Mehdi Hassan Bhatti, are up against each other in NA-67, the only National Assembly seat of the district.

Saira Afzal Tarar, a former federal minister and daughter of veteran politician Afzal Tarar, is the nominee of the PML-N against Aneeqa Mehdi Bhatti, the daughter of Mehdi Bhatti, who has been nominated by the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) from the seat.

Before 2018, Hafizabad district had two NA seats but in 2018 its seats were reduced to one and Saira lost the last election against the PTI’s Shaukat Bhatti (Mehdi’s son).

Saira has been contesting the election from the NA seat since 2008 and won twice (2008 and 2013) whereas her rival Aneeqa is a newcomer in the political arena as she is contesting the election for the first time after her brother Shaukat Bhatti could not continue as a candidate due to the difficult circumstances being faced by the PTI men after the May 9 violence.

Though some other candidates are also in the run but the main contest is expected between the two arch rivals (Tarars and Bhattis) in the district.

Former prime minister and PML-N supremo Mian Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz, the party’s chief organiser, addressed an election rally in Hafizabad last week to muster the support for their party candidates in the area.

Out of the total three Punjab Assembly seats in the district, ex-PTI MPA Mamoon Jaafar Tarar, who had joined the Istehkam Pakistan Party (IPP), is again contesting from PP-37 (Jalalpur Bhattian-Vanike Tarar) whereas former MNA Mian Shahid Bhatti is a PML-N candidate and Asadullah Arain of the PTI is also contesting from the seat.

In PP-38 (Hafizabad city), Sheikh Gulzar Ahmed is a PML-N nominee contesting against the PTI’s Zameer Hassan Bhatti, a nephew of Mehdi Bhatti. In PP-39 (Pindi Bhattian), the PML N has awarded a ticket to Oun Jahangeer Bhatti, the son of MPA Intisar Bhatti, and the PTI has nominated Qamar Javed Gujjar.

A former MNA and younger brother of Mehdi Bhatti, Liaqat Abbas Bhatti and former Gujrat district police officer Rai Zameerul Haq are contesting as independent candidates from PP-39.

Published in Dawn, January 30th, 2024