Chakwal - More than 40 candidates from different political parties have filed their nomination papers for two National Assembly and four provincial assembly seats in Chakwal district.
Political pundits say that there will be a neck and neck contest between the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
In the NA-64 constituency, PTI’s Sardar Ghulam Abbas will face PML-N’s former MNA Major (retd) Tahir Iqbal. In 2013 general election, Iqbal defeated Abbas, who had contested as an independent candidate, by a margin of 28,000 votes.
Chaudhry Parvez Elahi of Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q), who is made adjustment with the PTI in NA-65, will face PML-N’s Sardar Mumtaz Tamman.
In 2013 elections, Tamman had defeated Elahi with a margin of 12,000 votes. In PP-21, PML-N's Chaudhry Sultan Haider will face Raja Yasir Sarfaraz of the PTI.
In the last elections, the late MPA Chaudhry Liaqat Ali Khan had defeated independent candidate Ejaz Farhat with a margin of 25,000 votes.
In PP-22, former provincial minister Malik Tanveer Aslam Sethi will face a PTI candidate and Raja Munawar Ahmed, Pir Waqar Hussain, Raja Zulfiqar Aslam and Tariq Afzal Kallas could be one of the candidates. The PTI on the pressure of local workers withdrew the name of Major (retd) Masroor Ahmed who was earlier awarded the PTI’s ticket on this seat. In 2013 elections, Malik Tanveer Aslam Sethi had defeated independent candidate Malik Akhtar Shahbaz with a margin of more than 42,000 votes. In PP-23, former MPA Sardar Zulfiqar Ali Khan Dulha is likely to face Sardar Aftab Akbar of the PTI. In 2013 elections, Dulha had defeated independent candidate Sardar Ghulam Abbas by a margin of 7,000 votes.
IPP-24, former MPA of PML-N Shahr Yar Awan will face Hafiz Ammar Yasir of the PML-Q, who also has the backing of the PTI.
In 2013 elections, the late MPA Malik Zhaoor Anwar had defeated Sardar Amjad Ilyas of PML-Q with a margin of more than 10,000 votes.
According to the Election Commission of Pakistan, (ECP) June 11 is the last date for filing nomination papers and some more candidates of different political parties including the Muttahida Majlis-e-Ammal, the Pakistan People’s Party and Tehreek-e-Labbaik Ya Rasulallah have also filed their nomination papers. The ECP, for the first time, has appointed separate returning officers for all the six constituencies of Chakwal district.
Meanwhile, PML-N candidate Chaudhry Sultan Haider also filed his nomination papers.