GUJRAT: The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has alleged that the Sialkot administration has removed the banners and flexes of its candidate Raheel Kamran Cheema during the by-election campaign in PP-52 at the behest of the PML-N’s provincial government.

PPP’s Central Executive Committee (CEC) member ex-MNA Samina Fakhar Pagganwala, in a statement issued here on Wednesday, criticised the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government for removal of the party candidate’s banners, terming it a “conspiracy”.

She said disappearance of the party’s banners across Punjab was no coincidence, adding that a similar incident also occurred at Daska.

She warned if the PML-N continued such tactics, public anger would “sweep away its government.

“The by-polls in the PP-52 (Sambrial-Daska) are scheduled for June 1. The seat fell vacant following the demise of the PML-N MPA Arshad Javed Warraich a few weeks ago.

34 aspirants have filed 43 nomination papers

Hina Arshad Warraich, daughter of the late MPA, is being tipped as PML-N’s aspirant in the constituency in the by-polls as she had earlier been elected as chairperson of Sialkot district council in 2016. She has filed two nomination papers, while her sister Zaina Arshad Warraich has also filed three nomination papers.

The Opposition Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) is likely to pitch its ticket holder in the 2024 general elections, Faakhar Nashat Ghuman, as its candidate in the by polls. Ex-MPA Azeem Noori Ghuman and several others have also applied for the PTI ticket and filed nomination papers.

The PPP candidate Raheel Kamran Cheema is a member of the Punjab Bar Council from Sialkot, as well as the party’s Punjab lawyers’ wing president.

Meanwhile, PPP Punjab secretary general Hassan Murtaza visited Sialkot on Tuesday in connection with the by-election campaign of the party nominee.

At least 34 candidates have filed 43 nomination papers for the by-election scheduled to be held on June 1, 2025. A candidate of the Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) has also submitted multiple nomination papers.

Sialkot Additional Deputy Commissioner (revenue) Iqbal Sunghera has been appointed as the returning officer for the PP-52 by-poll by The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

Published in Dawn, May 1st, 2025