GUJRAT: The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) feels that its candidate for PP-52 (Sambrial-Sialkot) by-election was being allowed to run his campaign in a relatively better environment as compared to the situation the party had faced in the by-poll held in April, 2024, and the last general elections.

The campaign of the PTI-backed independent candidate, Fakhir Nashat Ghuman, has been going smooth so far, “except a few odds”,a senior PTI leader told Dawn on Thursday.

The by-poll in provincial assembly constituency is scheduled to be held on June 1 (Sunday).

The seat had fallen vacant after the death of PML-N MPA Arshad Javed Warraich a couple of months ago.

Analysts expect a tough one-on-one contest between the ruling PML-N and the PTI-backed aspirants, whereas the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) is also been running an aggressive campaigning in Sambrial to perform better in the race.

By-poll to be held on June 1

Wazirabad MNA Muhammad Ahmed Chatha, who is PTI’s central Punjab president, and heading Fakhir Ghumman’s campaign in PP-52, says so far the party has been freely running the campaign, as compared to the situation in the previous by-poll held on April 21, 2024.

However, he says, the PTI workers are facing some difficulties in running the campaign, adding that he could not say anything about the polling day strategy of the government authorities.

At least 15 aspirants, including that of the Tehreek Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), Shafaqat Rana, and independents are in the race for the by-poll in PP-52.

The PML-N has pitched Ms Hina Arshad Warraich, the daughter of its late MPA, as its candidate in the by-poll. She had served as chairperson of Sialkot district council from 2016 to 2020. The election campaigns will conclude on the night of May 30 (tonight).The PPP has announced the last public gathering of the campaign of its candidate, Raheel Kamran Cheema on Thursday night.

Senior PPP leaders, including former prime minister and PPP central Punjab president Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, Qamar Zaman Kaira, Nadeem Afzal Chan, Mian Fakhar Paggawala and Ijaz Samman have regularly participated in the by-polls campaign of the party nominee.

The PPP has also brought in Sindh Assembly Deputy Speaker Anthony Naveed, who has been staying in Sambrial for the last two weeks to woo the Christian community voters in the constituency, as his family belonged to Sialkot. They had migrated to Sindh decades ago.

Punjab governor Sardar Saleem Haider also visited Sambrial on Thursday to offer condolence over death of a close relative of a locally influential political figure, Aslam Cheema.

The PML-N lawmakers from across the Gujranwala and Gujrat regions have also been participating in the election campaign of their party candidate at union council level.

The PML-N also organised a training session for its polling agents at a banquet hall on Wednesday the last.

Published in Dawn, May 30th, 2025