In a fascinating mosaic, Faisalabad combines the rural and urban, the agrarian and the industrialised. Suitably, the district’s voters have shown openness in trying out varied political parties in recent decades, except for the 1997 elections when this district — like the rest of Punjab — sided solidly with the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz. Yet, by and large, the faces in the contest remain the same.

The district is home to sizeable numbers of the Sheikh, Jatt, Kharal, Baloch, Arain, Gujjar, Rajput, Ansari, Malik and Wattoo biradris. Industrial workers form a substantial portion of the electorate.

In the 2008 general elections, the Pakistan Peoples Party won six Faisalabad seats while the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz got three and the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid bagged two. A tougher challenge from the PML-N awaits both the Pakistan Peoples Party and the PML-Q this time.

In NA-75, the PPP persists with its 2008 MNA Tariq Mehmood Bajwa. He will take on the PML-N’s Ghulam Rasool Sahi, a brother of former Punjab Assembly speaker Afzal Sahi. In 2008, Mr Bajwa defeated Mr Sahi, fielded by the PML-Q. In 2002, Ghulam Rasool Sahi, on a PML-Q ticket, defeated the PPP’s Wajid Mustafa Bajwa.

The PPP’s Malik Nawab Sher Waseer won in NA-76 in 2008, defeating the PML-Q candidate, Zahid Nazir. Mr Waseer is again in the field and will face Talal Chaudhry of the PML-N as Mr Nazir failed to a get ticket for this slot. Mr Nazir and his younger brother, Asim Nazir, are now associated with the PML-N. In 2002, Mohammad Wasi Zafar of the PML-Q became the MNA from NA-76 by defeating the PML-N’s Rai Salahuddin.

On a PML-Q ticket, Asim Nazir won the NA-77 seat in the 2002 and the 2008 general elections. This time, he has been fielded by the PML-N.

Raheela Parveen Baloch clinched NA-78 in 2008 on a PPP ticket, defeating Rajab Ali Baloch of the PML-Q. In 2002 Mr Baloch became the MNA from this constituency. This time, he has been given the PML-N ticket while Shahadat Baloch will replace his daughter Raheela as the PPP nominee.

Former federal minister Rana Farooq Saeed was fielded by the PPP for NA-79, but his nomination papers were rejected. Mr Saeed contested the last election as an independent candidate; he won both the NA-79 and PP-59 seats and later joined the PPP.

The PML-N was set to have Sharif Gujjar as its candidate in NA-79 but Mr Gujjar died in an accident in early April; now, his son Shahbaz Babar is the PML-N candidate.

In NA-80 the nomination papers of Asif Tausif, a former state minister, were initially rejected but later cleared. Mr Tausif won here in 2008 on the PML-Q ticket. The PML-N nominee from this seat is former MNA Mian Farooq.

Saeed Iqbal of the PPP will contest again from NA-81 and face Dr Nisar, who has joined the PML-N. In the last elections Iqbal defeated Nisar who then sported the PML-Q colours.

In 2008, Sahibzada Haji Mohammad Fazal Karim of the PML-N won the NA-82 seat against the PPP’s Aezid Mahmood. Mr Karim also clinched this seat in 2002 by defeating Nisar Akbar Khan of the PPP, an uncle of Aezid Mahmood. Mr Mahmood is the son of veteran PPP politician Umar Draz. Mr Karim bid farewell to the PML-N and wanted a seat adjustment with the PML-Q. Now, Hamid Raza, Mr Karim’s son, will contest from this constituency as the father passed away very recently. The PML-N has opted for former MPA Rana Afzal.

In NA-83, former MNA Mian Abdul Manan is the PML-N man. The PPP has fielded Mumtaz Ali Cheema, elder brother of Mushtaq Ali Cheema. The PPP’s 2008 MNA Ijaz Virk, meanwhile, joined the PML-N after the PPP refused him a ticket.

In NA-84, the PML-N’s candidate is Abid Sher Ali, son of senior politician Sher Ali, who beat former federal lawmaker Mehr Abdul Rasheed of the PPP in 2008. This time, Mr Ali will contest from this constituency again against the PPP’s Malik Asghar Ali, a former MPA.

The PML-N has five-time MNA Haji Akram Ansari carrying its brief in NA-85. Mr Ansari will face Malik Sardar of the PPP. Upset over Mr Ansari’s nomination, former federal minister Raja Nadir Pervez, who has himself been in the National Assembly five times, has quit the PML-N and announced that he will not contest this time.