LAHORE - PTI has awarded party tickets to six women candidates to contest the upcoming election on the general seats usually reserved for men. 

PTI’s list of National Assembly candidates issued on Friday contains names of six women who will be competing against their rivals on July 25, most of them

for the first time. 

It will be a woman versus a woman contest in NA-125 (Lahore) (Old NA-120) as the PTI has awarded ticket to Dr Yasmin Rashid while the PML-N has fielded Maryam Nawaz Sharif.

Dr Yasmin lost to Begum Kulsoom Nawaz in the last by-election held in September 2017.

Though a seasoned Parliamentarian, Ghulam Bibi Bharwana is contesting from NA-115 Jhang-II on the PTI ticket for the first time. Before this she ran as an independent candidate and also on the PML-Q ticket in the previous elections. She was the winner in most of the previous contests. Other parties are yet to announce their candidates from this constituency.

Ayesha Nazir is another women candidate contesting the coming election on the PTI’s platform. A first-timer, she is contesting from NA-162 (Vehari) on a general seat.

Since other parties have not yet finalised their candidates, it is not clear yet as to who would be her rival candidates.

Fatima Tahir Cheema is contesting from NA-168 (Bahawalnagar-III). She belongs to a political family from Bahawalnagar. Fatima is also a first timer.

Khadeja Amir would be a PTI’s candidate from NA-173 (Bahawalpur). She is also running for a NA seat for the first time.

Zartaj Gul is PTI’s candidate from NA-191 (D.G Khan). She is also stated to a first-timer.

Also, PTI chief Imran Khan is contesting from six NA constituencies in the coming elections. They include: NA-35 (Bannu), NA-53 (Islamabad), NA-131 (Lahore) and NA-95 (Mianwali).

Imran Khan also plans to contest from Karachi but a decision about his constituency is yet to be made.