Daily Times

LAHORE: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Friday submitted a complaint to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) against development works in NA-125, the constituency Maryam Nawaz, daughter of ousted premier Nawaz Sharif, had acquired nomination papers for to contest elections.

The application was submitted to NA-125 Returning Officer (RO) Asif Bashir by PTI’s candidate Dr Yasmin Rashid against her expected opponent Maryam Nawaz.

In the complaint, Dr Yasmin Rashid claimed that Maryam Nawaz was still directing development works and uplift projects in NA-125 through her party’s elected union council chairmen.

She also attached some proofs of development works along with her application and termed the move an act to influence voters.

Meanwhile, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and its archrival PTI have finalised 55 candidates for 37 seats of Lahore.

There are total 44 seats in Lahore, including 14 seats for National Assembly and 30 seats for the Punjab Assembly.

On the remaining seven seats, the decision to award tickets will be made afterwards depending upon the survey reports, sources said.

On National Assembly seats, sources added that knife-edge elections are expected

between PML-N’s Malik Raiz and PTI’s Mehr Wajid Waseem in NA-123, Hamza Shehbaz Sharif and Noman Qaiser in NA-124, Maryam Nawaz Sharif and Dr Yasmin Rashid in NA-125, Pervez Malik and Jamsheed Iqbal Cheema in NA-127, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq and Abdul Aleem Khan in NA-129, Khawaja Hassaan and Shafqat Mehmood in NA-130, Khawaja Saad Rafiq and Imran Khan in NA-131, Mian Shehbaz Sharif and Mansha Sindhu in NA-132, Zaeem Qadri and Ejaz Chaudhry in NA-133, Sardar Adil Umar and Zaheer Abbas Khokhar in NA-134, Saiful Malook Khokhar and Malik Karamat Khokhar in NA-135 and Malik Afzal Khokhar and Khalid Gujjar in NA-136.

Sources added that Khalid Gujjar’s name was yet to be finalised as Malik Asad Khokhar was a strong candidate from the area and the decision would be made within a couple of days.

PTI insiders said that the party had almost finalised its candidates for PA seats, including Advocate Khalid from PP-144, Malik Zaman Naseeb (PP-146), Tariq Saadat (PP-147), Zubair Niazi (PP-149), Mian Aslam Iqbal (PP-151), Mehr Wajid Azeem (PP-152), Malik Mansab Awan (PP-154), Javed Anwar (PP 155), Mian Iftikhar (PP 156), Shoab Sadiqui (PP-157), Abdul Aleem Khan (PP-158), Yousuf Ali (PP-164), Yousuf Miyo (PP-165), Saleem Sindhu (PP-169), Malik Sarfraz Khokhar (PP-173) and Rana Javed Umar from PP-171.

For PP-159, sources added that the PTI would award a ticket either to Dr Murad Rass or Asim Shaukat depending upon the internal surveys.

Candidates for PP-145, PP-153, PP-159, PP-160, PP-161, PP-163, PP-166, PP-67 and PP-68 will be finalised afterwards.

Published in Daily Times, June 9^th 2018.