­DERA GHAZI KHAN-A total of 138 candidates are contesting in National Assembly and Punjab Assembly constituencies in district Dera Ghazi Khan for upcoming general elections 2018 to be held on July 25.
Thirty-nine out of 138 candidates are contesting for the National Assembly (NA) seats while remaining 99 candidates are contesting for Punjab Assembly seats.
There are eight Punjab Assembly seats, PP-285 to PP-292 and four National Assembly seats NA-189 to NA-192. According to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) sources, 71 independent candidates are contesting election in the district which is the highest number. 58 out of 71 independent candidates are contesting election in PP constituencies and remaining 13 independent candidates are contesting election in NA constituencies.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has fielded candidates in all 12 constituencies of Punjab and National Assembly, while Pakistan People's Party Parliamentarians (PPPP) has fielded 10 candidates, the newly-founded religious party Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) has fielded 9 candidates, Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) has fielded 8 candidates, Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal Pakistan, Pakistan Awami Raj and Allah-o-Akbar Tehreek each one has fielded 4 candidates against 12 seats of PP and NA.
Similarly, Pakistan Sunni Tehreek, Aam Admi Party and National Party have field 3 candidates each, All Pakistan Muslim League has fielded 2 candidates while All Pakistan Muslim League (Jinnah), Amun Taraqqi Party, Pakistan Justice & Democratic Party, Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan and Pak Sarzameen Party each one has field only one candidate against 12 constituencies.
Last day of submission of party ticket was 30 June, 2018 when more than 11 candidates of PML-N returned their party tickets and sought the Jeep symbol from the ECP instead of their previous Tiger symbol. Ex-MNA PML-N SardarAmjad Farooq Khan Khosa and Usama Abdul Karim, son of former federal minister Dr Hafiz Abdul Kareem, who has been a close aide of Nawaz Sharif from DG Khan, are two of them, now they both are contesting elections on Jeep symbol in NA-190 and PP-290 respectively.
Campaigning for the upcoming elections has gained momentum nowadays. Many complaints regarding violation of Code of Conduct have been submitted against different candidates.
When approached, Deputy Commissioner Akbar Ali Bhatti said that district administration was taking action on all complaints without discrimination. DC Office has issued show cause notice to Muhammad Hanif, a candidate in PP-289, for violation of display of oversised banners and use of loudspeaker on mobile mini-truck under section 23 (Part-C) of Code of Conduct of General Elections-2018 and likewise actions would be taken against other violators.