LAHORE: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has put forward 14 nominees for National Assembly seats and 30 for Punjab Assembly seats in Lahore for the upcoming general elections. While these candidates are contesting independently, they enjoy the backing of the PTI.
The party lost its election symbol, the bat, after the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) invalidated its intra-party elections. Despite an appeal to the Supreme Court for symbol restoration, the request was turned down. Consequently, the election commission allotted different symbols to all PTI-backed independent candidates.
Fourteen PTI-endorsed candidates are running for National Assembly seats across various constituencies in Lahore. The PTI has put forward Ali Ijaz Buttar in NA-117, Alia Hamza in NA-118, Shahzad Farooq in NA-119, Usman Hamza in NA-120, Waseem Qadir in NA-121, Barrister Latif Khosa in NA-122, Afzal Karim in NA-123, Zameer Jhedo Advocate in NA-124, Rana Javed Umar in NA-125, Malik Tauqeer Khokhar from NA-126, Zaheer Khokhar in NA-127, Salman Akram Raja in NA-128, Mian Muhammad Azhar in NA-129 and Dr Yasmeen Rashid in NA-130.
Furthermore, the party has thrown its support behind 30 independent contenders vying for seats in the Punjab Assembly. Among them are Yasir Gillani in PP-145, Junaid Razzak Advocate in PP-146, Mohammad Khan Madni in PP-147, G M Dewan in PP-148, and Hafiz Zeeshan in PP-149. Other candidates include Abdul Karim Khan in PP-150, Hammad Awan Advocate in PP-151, Nouman Majeed in PP-152, and Mian Awais Anjum in PP-153. Shakeel Ahmad Sindhu in PP-154, Sheikh Imtiaz in PP-155, and Ali Imtiaz Warraich in PP-156 are also on the list.
Additionally, Hafiz Farhat Abbas in PP-157, Chaudhary Yusuf Ali in PP-158, and Mehar Sharafat Ali in PP-159 are backed by the party. Azam Niazi in PP-160, Farrukh Javed Moon in PP-161, and Shabbir Gujjar in PP-162 are among the PTI-supported candidates. Azeem Ullah Khan Advocate in PP-163, Yusaf Mayo in PP-164, and Ahmer Bhatti in PP-165 are also in the race. Khalid Mehmood Gujjar in PP-166, Ammar Bashir Gujjar in PP-167, and Nadeem Abbas Basra in PP-168 are also among those backed by the PTI. Mian Mehmood ur Rasheed in PP-169, Haroon Akbar in PP-170, Mian Aslam Iqbal in PP-171, Mrs Mehar Wajid in PP-172, Zubair Niazi in PP-173, and Chaudhary Asghar Gujjar in PP-174 round out the list of PTI-backed independent candidates for the Punjab Assembly.
Tough competition is being expected in the NA-130 constituency, where former Punjab health minister under the Usman Buzdar administration, Dr Yasmin Rashid, is contesting against former prime minister Nawaz Sharif. Dr Yasmin is currently incarcerated and facing charges related to the May 9 incidents.
Similarly, a close fight is anticipated between PTI-nominated Shahzad Farooq and PML-N Chief Organiser Maryam Nawaz. In NA-128, PTI-supported candidate Salman Akram Raja, a seasoned lawyer, is making his electoral debut against Aun Chaudhary, the joint candidate of PML-N and Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP). Following a seat adjustment with the IPP, PML-N opted not to field its candidate in this constituency.
In NA-127, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari faces competition from PML-N’s Atta Tarrar and PTI-backed candidate Zaheer Abbas Khokhar.
