LAHORE, Sept 19: At a time when barring the PML-QA and some tiny parties in the National Alliance, almost all political parties are united against the government, the constituency of Mian Muhammad Azhar has become more important than any other seat in the country. The reason is that the former Punjab governor now aspires to become prime minister. Other parties think that defeating him is necessary to shatter the dreams of PML-QA chief and upset the applecart of the regime.

He is a candidate for NA-118 (Lahore), which he has been winning in the past. It is alleged that the constituency (formerly NA-92) has been demarcated anew in a manner that the PML-QA president will win without difficulty.

A number of other candidates are also in the run for this seat. Mian Azhar is quietly celebrating disunity among them, which brightens up his chances even further.

The PPP has “imported” C.A. Qadir for this constituency, who poses no threat to Mian Azhar.

Some parties in Muttahida Majlis-i-Aml are of the view that Jamaat-i-Islami’s Hafiz Salman Butt will be a better challenger as his virulence will leave even a winning opponent grievously bruised.

The JUI-F is not willing to withdraw its candidate, Hafiz Abdul Wadood, on the ground that the MMA has given the seat to the party of Maulana Fazlur Rehman. Efforts are under way to have only one MMA candidate against Mian Azhar.

PAT’s Iqbal Mahmood Awan is also in the field.

Mian Azhar is also a candidate on NA-132 (Sheikhupura) where, to his satisfaction, Arain voters are in large numbers. On this seat he is being challenged by PML-N’s Mian Jalil Ahmed Sharqpuri and PPP’s Sajid Ali Awan.

Millat Party president Farooq Leghari is another important leader the PPP and the PML(N) want to throw out of the electoral ring. He is hated by the PPP because of dismissing the Benazir government.

The PML-N is also a sworn enemy of the former president because of his confrontation with former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, although Mr Leghari had to step down ultimately to avert his imminent impeachment.

Mr Leghari is contesting on NA-172 (Dera Ghazi Khan) where he has the full support of the PML-QA. PPP’s Dr Saeed Buzdar is his challenger. Mr Leghari’s traditional rivals, Khosas, have forged an alliance with Sardar Maqsood Leghari, who has fielded his son, Mohammad Khan Leghari, on this seat.

MMA’s Rasheed Ahmed Khan is also in the run.

The PPP candidate claims that it is in a position to defeat the ‘traitor’ who disappointed the party by sacking its government. Mr Leghari is also a candidate on NA-63 (Sahiwal) where PPP’s Begum Shahnaz Javed and PML-QA’s Saeed Ahmed Chaudhry are also in the field.

Unconfirmed reports say that like Mian Azhar, Mr Leghari is also a candidate for the office of prime minister. It will be naive to assume that a former president will be running just for a National Assembly seat where he will be one of the 300 plus MNAs, people close to him argue. They think that in the absence of Mian Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto, there is no leader in the country comparable to the Millat Party chief who will be the one calling the shots after the elections.

Mr Leghari enjoys good relations with President Musharraf and both feel they can work with each other.

NA-54 (Rawalpindi) is another prestigious seat in the Punjab on which PML(N) Chairman Raja Zafarul Haq is a candidate. The “opening batsman of late Gen Ziaul Haq” has been challenged by the late dictator’s son, Ejazul Haq, who has been winning the seat in the previous elections. Mr Zafar will have to burn midnight oil to be able to save his honour.

A cool-headed Raja wanted to run for the Senate, but some other leaders suggested that he should run for the NA.

The contest will be very interesting, as PPP’s Zamarud Khan, PML-QA’s Allama Ayaz Zaheer Hashmi and MMA’s Shaukat Aziz Siddiqi are also in the race.

The constituency is full of “weaponry” as its candidates have hammer, railway engine, tractor and helicopter as election symbols.

Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaaf chairman Imran Khan is trying his luck on NA-122 (Lahore) where his ‘bat’ is pitted against the ‘bicycle’ of Chaudhry Mohammad Amin (a former inspector-general of police) of the PML(QA), and ‘tiger’ of Sardar Ayaz Sadiq of PML-N.

The cricketer-turned-politician contested the 1997 election against PML-N president Mian Nawaz Sharif on NA-95, but was defeated. He was offered more than 20 NA seats by the PML(N) and a central office in the party organization provided he withdrew from the race. Imran Khan had rejected the offer with contempt as he saw 20 NA seats humiliating for a leader who was confident that with the support of the youth he would be the next occupant of the prime minister’s house.

He was a candidate for some eight NA seats in various parts of the country, but the ‘youth bomb’ which was supposed to carry him to the prime minister’s house could not explode, and he remained where he was.

Mr Khan is also a candidate on NA-71 (Mianwali), where he also tried his luck in 1997, when Maqbool Khan Niazi of the PML-N and independent candidate Gul Hameed Rokhri were his opponents.

This time, the PTI chief is facing half a dozen candidates including Obaidullah Khan Shadikhel of the PML-QA.

Mr Khan relies on his Niazi community and young voters. However, Shadikhel enjoys the support of the Kalabaghs and the Rokharis — two influential entities in the area.

PML-QA leader Chaudhry Shujaat Husain is a candidate on two NA seats, one of which is in Gujrat and the other in Bhakkar.

On Gujrat (NA-105), he is being opposed by his traditional rival Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar, who is a former secretary-general of the PPP.

MMA’s Syed Shaukat Kamal is also in the field.

The constituency was demarcated anew for the 1997 elections. Chaudhry Mukhtar thinks that many areas where he enjoys good support have been excluded from the constituency. However, he is confident he will win despite the government’s support for his major rival.

He has prepared a list of the areas where his position is relatively weaker and is taking steps to outdo his adversary.

The position of Chaudhry Shujaat Husain is also very strong. The fact that his brother, Chaudhry Shafaat Husain, is Nazim of the district gives added benefit to the former interior minister.

Quite unexpectedly, Chaudhry Shujaat also submitted his candidature for NA-74 (Bhakkar).

Rashid Akbar Niwani and Saeed Akbar Niwani, whose stronghold this constituency is supposed to be, could not contest because of their fake degrees. They put up Chaudhry Shujaat on the seat.

Dr Mohammad Afzal Dhandla of the PML-N and Malik Ghulam Sarwar of the PPP are his opponents.

The PPP and PML-N formed an alliance for the last year’s local elections. That cooperation is still on, which means that Chaudhry Shujaat will face a tough competition there.

A point which goes in favour of the former interior minister is the support the influential Shahanis have promised him.

The Niwanis and Shahanis recently joined the PML-QA, cementing the party position in the area. Former PPP minister Malik Nazir Utra and Mastikhel and Khannankhel tribes have also joined hands with the Niwani group, which will further benefit the PML-QA leader.

PML-N acting president Makhdoom Javed Hashmi is contesting on NA-123 (Lahore) against PML-QA’s Mian Waheed and PPP’s Tariq Waheed Butt.

Mr Hashmi, a resident of Multan who was handed over the party when the Sharifs were leaving the country, is a symbol of resistance. He has been in NAB custody for several months on corruption charges but his commitment with the party and loyalty to the Sharifs is unflinching.

He believes that the city, once a stronghold of the Sharifs, would establish once again that the people of what is regarded as the political capital of the country have not forgotten the former ruling family.

A fiery speaker from his university days, Mr Hashmi could have strengthened his position further had he not been in NAB custody.

The seat is expected to witness a tough contest, as Mian Waheed has also been working day and night to maintain his hold. A former ambassador, Mian Waheed, claims that he will defeat his rivals with big margins.

Another leader in NAB custody contesting the election is the secretary-general of PPP, Jehangir Badar. Well versed in electoral politics, Mr Badar is a candidate on NA-119. He faces charges of corruption and misuse of power.

There are a dozen candidates for this seat. Punjab PML(N) secretary-general Khwaja Saad Rafiq and PML-QA leader Mian Abdus Sattar are his major adversaries.

PML-QA leaders admit that their candidate is weaker than his rivals. This means the real contest is between the PPP and the PML-N candidates, who are “allies” on ARD’s platform.

Both Mr Badar and Mr Saad have been student leaders shot into prominence in no time.

PML-C president Hamid Nasir Chattha’s two seats are also prestigious. He is fighting on NA-100 and 101 (Gujranwala), with no PPP candidate on the former and no PML-QA candidate on the latter.

Mr Chattha has both won and lost NA-74 (Gujranwala) — which has now been divided into two and numbered 100 and 101 — to his traditional rival Col Ghulam Sarwar Cheema (retired) of the PML-QA.

He has been an ally of the PPP and, perhaps, it was for this reason that Makhdoom Amin Faheem recently asked him to withdraw his party’s candidate against him in Sindh. The PML-C chief told him to contact the provincial president of the party. It is possible that the PPP has not put up its candidate on the second seat to get a positive response from Mr Chattha.

As things stand, Mr Chattha is facing PML-QA’s Bilal Ijaz on NA-100. PML-QA’s Rana Umar Nazeer Khan and MMA’s Mohammad Ehsanullah are also in the race.

On NA-101, Mr Chattha faces PPP’s Asma Shahnawaz, Adnan Sarwar Cheema and Shaukat Hayat Chattha.

The PML-C also made adjustments with the PML-QA, which told its candidate Col Ghulam Sarwar Cheema to withdraw from the race. PML-C leaders in Sialkot, the Variyos, made adjustments with the PML-QA in their district, making it easier for what is called the King’s party to defeat the PML-N.

PAT chairman Dr Tahirul Qadri is contesting on NA-127 (Lahore) and NA-89 (Jhang). On the Lahore seat, his challengers are PML-QA’s Aleem Khan, who is a political novice, PML-N’s Naseer Bhutta, PPP’s Professor Ijazul Hasan and MMA’s Qari Zawwar Bahadur.

In Jhang, his opponents are: PPP’s Syed Asad Hayat, PML-QA’s Shoaib Farooq and MMA’s Mukhtar Ahmed Sial.