TOBA TEK SINGH: The PML-N ticket holders are likely to bag all the five Faisalabad constituencies – two of the National Assembly (NA-96, NA-104) and three of the Punjab Assembly (PP-98, PP-115, PP-116), mainly because the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), which had won all of these seats in 2024 general election, is boycotting the Nov 23 by-poll.

Moreover, none of the independent candidates contesting on these seats are posing any serious challenge to the ruling party nominees.

Meanwhile, another potential rival of the PML-N – Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) – in no position to contest the by-poll, as it faces ban after its recent violent protest, while the PPP has not fielded its candidates on any of the seats in the Faisalabad district.

In the district, the five seats had fallen vacant after disqualification of the two PTI-backed MNAs – Rai Haider Ali Khan (NA-96), Sahibzada Muhammad Hamid Raza (NA-104) – and three MPAs – Junaid Afzal Sahi (PP-98), Sheikh Shahid Javed (PP-115) and Malik Ismail Seela (PP-116) – by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), after being convicted by Faisalabad Anti Terrorism Court on July 31 in cases related to May 9, 2023, riots.

In NA-96, the PML-N has awarded ticket to Bilal Badar Chaudhry, brother of State Minister for Interior Talal Chaudhry, while Barrister Raja Danyal is its nominee for NA-104, who is son of former opposition leader in the National Assembly, Raja Riaz.

The ruling party has fielded Azad Ali Tabassum in PP-98, a former PML-N MPA, who is considered close to Senator Rana Sanaullah Khan, and Mian Tahir Jamil in PP-115, also a former MPA, who is backed by former state minister for energy, Abid Sher Ali.

Similarly, Rana Ahmad Shahryar Khan, the party’s ticket holder for PP-116, is son-in-law of Senator Rana Sanaullah Khan.

In NA-96 (Jaranwala), there will be one-on-one contest between the PML-N nominee Bilal Chaudhry and former MNA Malik Nawab Sher Waseer, who is contesting as an independent candidate.

Local political observers say that Mr Waseer could give a tough time to Bilal, but as the by-poll date is nearing, many influential political figures, including former nazims and councillors, who were earlier supporting him, are joing his rival camp.

Former PTI MPA Shakil Shahid, son of late Riaz Shahid, an MPA and former mayor of Faisalabad, who could efectively challenge the PML-N’s Barrister Danyal in NA-104, has withdrawn his nomination papers.

When questioned by reporters about his decision, Mr Shakil, who has already left the PTI, recited a verse of Faiz Ahmad Faiz – “Chali hy rasm ke koi na ser utha ke chalay,” hinting at pressure from powerful quarters.

Local sources say that now Barrister Danyal has no considerable opponet in the constituency except Rana Adnan Javed, a PML-N local leader, who may be the runner-up in the Nov 23 by-poll.

In PP-98, the PML-N ticket holder, Mr Tabassum, is going strong, according to local observers. On Nov 10, the owners of Kohistan group, ex-MNA Asim Nazir Chaudhry and his brother ex-MPA Shahid Nazir, announced their support for Mr Tabassum, further strengthening his position.

In PP-115, the position of the PML-N’s Mian Tahir Jamil is said to be very strong as nomination papers of his only potential opponent, a former district bar association (DBA) secretary general, Rana Hakim Murtaza, were rejected by the returning officer concerned. Later, his appeal was also rejected by the Lahore High Court (LHC) tribunal.

Hakim, a local PTI leader, had also remained in jail for his political affiliation. Now the only candidate contesting against Mian Tahir is Malik Asghar Ali, who can benefit from the PTI vote bank in the constituency to some extent.

In PP-116, two candidates – a former PTI activist, Khawaja Asad Ijaz Munna and a former PML-N MPA Malik Asghar Ali Qaiser – are in the field against the ruling party’s Rana Ahmad Shahryar, whose position is said to be strong as Rana Sanaullah himself is leading his campaign by addressing corner meetings, local sources say.

They add that Rana Sanaullah has a strong group in every area of the constituency, from where he had contested election on the PML-N ticket in 2024, and was defeated by, now disqualified, PTI-backed MPA, Malik Ismail Seela.

Published in Dawn, November 12th, 2025