OKARA-A total of 48 candidates including a woman and a transgender have been allotted election symbols to contest for four National Assembly [NA] seats in Okara district. Similarly, as many as 118 candidates including three women have been allotted election symbols for eight seats of Provincial Assembly.
In NA-141, nine candidates are contesting election including former MNA Ch Nadeem Abbas Rubera of PML-N. His panel includes his younger brother Ch Ghulam Raza Rubera and former MPA Ch Javed Allauddin who are contesting election from PP-190 Okara-VIII and PP-183 Okara-I respectively. The PTI panel, for NA, comprises former state minister for information Samsam Ali Bukhari having panel of Rai Hammad Aslam Kharal at PP-190 and Mehr Javed Iqbal Bhonana at PP-183. Former PTI MPA Ch Masoon Shafqat Rubera, son of former MNA Ch Shafqat Abbas Rubera, from whom the PTI ticket was withdrawn, is also contesting election for National Assembly from this constituency along with former MPA Malik Akram Bhatti at PP-183 and his wife Noorul Ain at PP-190. The PPP panel comprises Rai Ghulam Mujtaba Kharal for NA; Rai Faisal Mian Khan Kharal for PP-190 and Rana Abdul Rehman for PP-183. MMA candidate Dr Liaqat Ali Kausar is also in election race for National Assembly. The panel of independent candidates includes Ch Khalilur Rehman for NA; Rai Ali Noor Kharal for PP-190 and Arif Khan Lashari for PP-183.
In NA-142 Okara-II, 12 candidates have been allotted election symbols including a woman and a transgender. Prominent amongst these are: PML-N panel comprises former MNA Ch Riazul Haq for NA; former provincial minister Mian Yawar Zaman for PP-188 and Ch Muneebul Haq for PP-189. The PTI panel includes Rao Hassan Sikander, son of former defence minister Rao Sikander Iqbal (late) for NA; Ch Saleem Sadiq for PP-189 and Abdullah Tahir for PP-188. Besides, Tehreek Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) candidate Shumaila Shaukat is also contesting election for the NA seat with TLP candidate Rao Maqsood Ahmed for PP-189. A transgender namely Arsalan Nayyab Ali is also contesting for the NA seat. PPP panel comprises Nawab Tariq Pathan for NA; Rao Rafique Sajid for PP-189 and Mehr Javed Naurang for PP-188. Former Okara Municipal Committee vice chairman Mian Abdur Rasheed Booti with election symbol 'Bottle' is contesting election for the NA seat as an independent candidate.
In NA-143, 14 candidates have been allotted election symbols. PML-N candidates include Rao Muhammad Ajmal Khan for NA, former MPA Malik Ali Abbas Khokhar for PP-187. Raza Ali Gillani, candidate from PP-184, refused to accept the PML-N ticket and is now contesting election as an independent candidate with election symbol Scooter. PML-N candidate Rao Ajmal Khan has joined hands with another independent candidate Syeda Mamnat Mohsin popularly known as Jugnu Mohsin. The PTI panel in this NA comprises Syed Gulzar Sibtain for National Assembly seat and PTI district president Ch Tariq Irshad Khan for PP-187.
In NA-144, PML-N panel includes former MNA Mian Moeen Khan Wattoo for NA seat and former MPA Ch Iftikhar Hussain Chachar for PP-186. In PP-185, Raza Ali Gillani is an independent candidate. In this NA constituency, independent candidate Mian Manzoor Ahmed Khan Wattoo is contesting for NA; his son Mian Khurram Jahangir Khan Wattoo is contesting for Provincial Assembly seat from PP-186 and former MNA Daughter Rubina Shaheen Wattoo from PP-185.