LAHORE - Barring a few changes in some constituencies, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) is readying its old squad to fight one of the toughest electoral battles of July 25 on the Lahore front.

Fourteen National Assembly seats are up for grab in the Punjab capital which is perhaps the only district in the province that did not see any defection from the PML-N to the PTI in the recent spate of change in political loyalties.

In 2013 elections, the PTI had won only one National Assembly seat from Lahore, a City which remains a PML-N stronghold since the last two decades.

PTI has shot-listed around 20 candidates for 14 National Assembly seats from the provincial metropolis. Though it is most likely to retain its previous contestants on majority of the seats for the upcoming elections, it may drop a few names from the previous list.

Party sources said that constituencies of some of the old candidates may also be changed to accommodate the fist-timers. The new delimitations have also necessitated shuffling of candidates and their constituencies.

From NA-123 (Old NA-118), names of former Punjab Governor Ch Muhammad Sarwar, Mahar Wajid and Hamid Zaman are under consideration.

Hamid had secured 43,616 votes in 2013 elections as against 103,346 obtained by Muhammad Riaz Malik of the PML-N. PPP candidate Faraz Hashmi polled 14,054 votes in the last elections.

From NA-124(Old NA-119), Walid Iqbal, party’s Lahore President is the hot favourite, but the party may also consider the names of Ghulam Mayuddin Diwan and Muhammad Madni.

The latter had got 40,821 votes in 2013 elections while contesting against Hamza Shehbaz Sharif who had won this seat securing 107,735 votes. PPP’s Sohail Malik had secured third position as he bagged only 3,930 votes.

For NA-125(Old NA-120), the name of Dr Yasmin Rashid is almost final.

She had secured over 60,000 votes in 2013 while contesting against ex-Prime Minister Mian Nawaz Sharif.

Later, in the by-election, held in September last year, she got over 47,000 votes as against over 61,000 of Begum Kulsoom Nawaz.

For NA-126-(Old NA-121) Hammad Azhar may be picked as the party candidate. Previously, the party leadership was also considering fielding.

In 2013 elections, Hammad stood second securing 68,307 votes as against 114,474 of the PML-N candidate Mehar Ishtiaq. Aurangzaib Burki of the PPP got only 5,882 votes from this constituency.

For NA-127(Old NA-122), the name of Jamshaid Cheema is under consideration. Cheema had fought the last election from NA-124 (old constituency). 

The PTI is still indecisive about party chairman Imran Khan’s constituency who had previously contested from NA-122 and lost to Sardar Ayaz Sadiq of the PML-N. This seat was hotly contested first in 2013 general elections and later in the by-election held in 2015.

Ayaz Sadiq won this seat both times, but with a narrow margin of a few thousand votes. Ayaz Sadiq got 93,389 votes in 2013 while Imran bagged 85,517 votes at that time.

In 2015, Ayaz polled 74,525 while Aleem Khan of the PTI got 72,085 votes.

The margin of victory was reduced to 2,440 votes in the by-election.

Barrister Amir Hassan of the PPP had secured 2,823 votes in 2013 and 819 in 2015.

From NA-128 (Old NA-123), Ejaz Dial is most likely to get the party ticket though the names of Atif Ch and Dr Nausheen Hamid are also under consideration. Atif had got 40,617 votes in 2013 elections while contesting against Pervaiz Malik of the PML-N who won this seat getting 126,878 votes.

Mian Azizur Rehman Chan of the PPP got only 3,770 votes at that time.

From NA-129(Old NA-124), Aleem Khan may be awarded the ticket as most of the areas of his old constituency fall in NA-129. Waleed Iqbal was the party candidate from here in 2013 elections and polled 42,561 votes. He then lost to Sheikh Rohail Asghar of the PML-N who got 119,312 votes. Bushra Aitzaz of the PPP obtained 6,990 votes.

From NA-130(Old NA-126), Shafqat Mahmood remains the ultimate choice for the PTI. He was the sole PTI candidate who grabbed a seat from Lahore in 2013 elections.

Shafqat had defeated Kh Ahmad Hassan of the PML-N by a narrow margin of over 7,000 votes. Shafqat had polled 97,785 while Hassan got 90,332 votes. Syed Zahid Bokhari of the PPP ended up securing 2,770 votes.

From NA-131(Old NA-125), it is highly likely that party chief Imran Khan would run in July 25 elections. Hamid Khan was the party candidate from this constituency in the last elections. He then got 84,495 votes but lost to Khawaja Saad Rafique who obtained 123,416 and won the seat. Naveed Ch of the PPP got 6,152 votes.

From NA-132(Old NA-127), the PTI is most likely to field Mansha Sindhu though the names of Ejaz Ahmad Ch and Faraz Ch may also be considered. In 2013 elections, Nasrullah Mughal was the PTI candidate from NA-127 (old) who secured 45,787 votes and lost to Waheed Alam Khan of the PML-N who obtained 102,080 votes. Khurram Latif Khosa of the PPP got 6,233 votes at that time.

From NA-133 (Old NA-128), party’s former Punjab President, Ejaz Chaudhry stands better chance of getting the party ticket. Two other names, those of Haji Karamat Khokhar and Zaheer Abbas Khokhar are also under consideration.

Karamat had polled 78,369 votes in the previous elections while contesting against Muhammad Afzal Khokhar of the PML-N who got 124,107 votes.

Muhammad Aslam Arain of the PPP got 3,408 while Zahoor Ahmad Wattoo of JI got 9,483 votes in 2013 elections.

From NA-134 (Old NA-129), the PTI is considering to field Zaheer Abbass Khokar this time. Mansha Sindhu had bagged 35,781 votes from this locality in 2013 elections as against 94,007 of Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif of the PML-N.

Tariq Shabbir Mayo of the PPP had got 11,633 votes in the previous elections.

From NA-135(Old NA-130), Karamat Khokar may be the party candidate this time. Ejaz Dyal and Usman Hamza are also among the prospective candidates alongwith the existing ticket holder Talib Hussain Sindhu who got only 8,780 votes in the last electoral contest. Sohail Shoukat of the PML-N had won this seat obtaining 88,842 votes. Samina Khalid Ghurki of the PPP had polled 32,569 votes in 2013.

From NA-136, a new constituency carved out of the existing constituencies of Lahore, the name of Khalid Gujjar is under consideration.