TOBA TEK SINGH: A close contest is expected between the PML-N ticket-holders and PTI-backed candidates in all three NA seats of the Toba district.

In NA-105 Gojra, the PML-N’s Khalid Javed Warraich, a former MNA, and the PTI’s Usama Hamza are again in the run like the previous general election.

Although the PPP’s Dr Sarshar Hassan Cheema, Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan’s Mazhar Mahmood Ghazali and Jamat Islami (JI) candidate Dr Attaullah Hameed are actively doing their campaign but the real contest would be between Warraich and Usama Hamza. Political observers say that position of Warraich has an edge over Usama as he had launched many development projects in his constituency and remained an MNA by winning two elections consecutive elections of 2013 and 2018.

However, Warraich and PML-N nominee in PP-120 Qadeer Awan are opposing each other due to the differences between them and Warraich has fielded his wife, Fauzia Warraich, as an independent candidate against Awan in the constituency. This situation of differences in the PML-N in Gojra may benefit Usama.

In NA-106, the winner of last three elections, Junaid Anwar Chaudhry, of the PML-N was earlier contesting against Chaudhry Muhammad Ashfaq, a runner-up in 2018 election, who had filed nomination papers as an independent candidate after quitting the PTI and joining the IPP. When his seat was not considered for adjustment between PML-N and the IPP, Ashfaq withdrew his candidature and now the real contest was expected between Junaid Anwar Chaudhry and PTI-backed candidate Khalid Nawaz Sadhraij. Here too, the PML-N’s Junaid is looking stronger than Sadhraij.

Zulfiqar Ali Zulfi of the PPP and Mian Zubair of the JI are also in the field.

In NA-107 (Kamalia-Pirmahal), former federal minister Asadur Rehman Ramday is the PML-N’s candidate and like 2018, he will face Riaz Fatyana backed up the PTI. A tough contest is expected between both the parties here.

The late PPP leader Khalid Kharal’s son, Haider Kharal, is also contesting as an independent candidate from the constituency. Due to differences between Ramday and his party’s candidate for provincial assembly, Nazia Raheel Gujjar, Ramday is supporting an independent candidate, Shahid Iqbal Gujjar. In retaliation, Nazia has made an alliance with independent candidate Haider Kharal. The differences between Ramday and Nazia will definitely benefit Fatyana.

There are differences in ranks of the PPP as former PPP ticket-holder retired Capt Saadat Husnain Kharal, the husband of former PPP MNA and Punjab PPP women wing president Beelum Hasnain, is opposing Malik Amjad Yaqoob and supporting independent candidate Haider Kharal.

The JI’s Muhammad Ahmad Raza, the TLP’s Pir Farrukh Salim Chishti and an independent candidate, retired Air Marshall Syed Azhar Hussain, are also in the field.

Published in Dawn, February 6th, 2024