LAHORE: The PML-N is banking on caretakers of two shrines in the National Assembly constituencies of NA-181 and NA-182 in the Layyah district as its both candidates have a following in the form of their devotees.

The PML-N and the PTI, two of the three mainstream political parties in Layyah, may face a tough time in the district as their candidates on the Nation Assembly seats have not been able to form panels on the provincial assembly seats in NA-181. The third mainstream party in the district is the PPP, which may fish in troubled water and get benefit from the situation of its rival parties, at least in one National Assembly constituency.

Layyah district has a population of around 2m and it includes three tehsils of Layyah, Karor Lal Essan and Chaubara. It is geographically diverse having deserts and Katcha and urban areas. The political dynamics in these areas vary significantly.

The National Assembly constituencies in Layyah are NA-181 and NA-182. The candidates for NA-181 include the PPP’s Sardar Bahadur Khan Sehar, PTI-backed Ambar Majeed Niazi and the PML-N’s Sahibzada Faizul Hassan. This constituency is divided into three provincial assembly constituencies, i.e. PP-279, PP-280 and PP-281.

PPP has an edge in NA-181 as PML-N, PTI candidates couldn’t form PA panels

The candidates for NA-182 include the PML-N’s Pir Saqlain Shah Bukhari, the PPP’s Ramzan Bhullar and PTI-backed Awais Ahmad Jakhar while PP-282 and PP-283 also a part of it.

The candidates for PP-279 include the PML-N’s Ahmad Ali Aulakh, PTI-backed Athar Maqbool Arain and independent Ghulam Rasool Jutt who is supported by the PPP candidate NA-181, Bahadur Khan Sehar.

The candidates for PP-280 include PTI-backed Sardar Shahabudin Khan Sehar, brother-in-law of Bahadur Khan Sehar, Malik Akram Samptia (independent), the PMLN’s Abdul Shakoor Sewag, Safdar Abbas Bhatti (independent) and the PPP’s Sajad Ahmad Khan Sehar, the brother of Bahadur Khan Sehar,

The candidates for PP-281 include Tahir Randhawa (PML-N), Qaiser Khan Magsi (independent), PTI-backed retired Col Shoaib Amjad, and Jam Manzoor (TLP).

The candidates for PP-282 include Rafaqat Ali Gillani supported by the Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP) and the PML-N, PTI-backed Osama Gujjar, and PPP’s Ghulam Fareed Miranai.

The candidates for PP-283 include PTI-backed Muhammad Athar Gurmani, the PML-N’s Ijaz Achlana and PPP’s Ameer Haider Dasti.

The PPP, PML-N and PTI had fielded candidates in both national assembly constituencies. The PPP has fielded candidates in the three provincial assembly constituencies and supported an independent in the fourth and PML-N candidates on other two constituencies PP-279 and PP-281. The PML-N fielded four candidates on its ticket and allied with the Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP) candidate on PP-282 while all five provincial assembly constituencies had PTI-backed candidates.

Both the PML-N candidates for NA-181 and NA-182 belong to religious families and are the caretakers of two shrines. Both have support of their party as well as the shrine devotees.

A senior lawyer, Hafeezullah Mangat, thinks that the political situation in Layyah district is becoming increasingly interesting as the election date approaches. He says both the national assembly seats have strong candidates from all three major parties, but internal party differences among the PTI and PML-N could dampen their chances of win.

In particular, Mangat said, the PTI and PML-N’s National Assembly candidates have not succeeded in forming their provincial assembly panel in NA-181, which has decreased their chances of winning against the PPP’s strong candidate Bahadur Khan Sehar. He says Sehar has also managed to persuade his party not to field candidates in PP-279 and PP-281 who had weak position and instead of them he is supporting a strong independent candidate and a PML-N’s candidate in these constituencies to get their support. He has also fielded his brother, Sajad Ahmed Khan Sehar, in PP-280. In his recent public rally, PPP chief Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari had also sought support for Bahadur Khan Sehar, urging the people to vote for him.

Mangat says the PTI-backed candidates are leading their campaigns in the district, with the exception of former MNA Majeed Niazi, who is not present to lead the campaign of his wife, Ambar Majeed Niazi, in NA-181.

Published in Dawn, January 30th, 2024