SIALKOT - Electioneering got momentum following the finalisation of candidates by the PML-N for five National Assembly and 11 Provincial Assembly constituencies here in the district.
The candidate have started their election campaign with the focusing on not to violate the election code of conduct announced by the Election Commission of Pakistan.
The PML-N candidates are going door-to-door and shop-to-shop to woo voters in district’s all the four Sialkot, Daska, Sambrial and Pasrur tehsils. They are also busy holding corner meetings of party workers at various places in their respective constituencies. PML-N stalwart Khawaja Muhammad Asif is directly supervising the elections campaign of the party candidates in the district.
However, no PML-N bigwig has yet announced holding public meeting ahead of the forthcoming general elections.
According to local observed, the PML-N has taken an edge over their rival candidates by starting its election campaign in district. They observed that the PML-N had left far behind the PTI on this account as it has not yet finalised names of its candidates in district although elections are only 28 days away.
Local PTI leaders including Engineer Imran Ashraf said that the inordinate delay in finalisation of names of the candidates was badly affecting the party political position in the district. The PML-N has awarded its tickets to five candidates belong to the Rajput-Rana Biradari in different constituencies out of total five National Assembly and eleven Punjab Assembly constituencies in the district.
According to details, the PML-N has awarded tickets to former MNA Rana Abdul Sattar and fielded him in PP-124 Uggoki, Sialkot-IV, a constituency from where his father Rana Shamim Ahmed was elected the party MPA in 2008 general elections. Now, Rana Shamim Ahmed is contesting the general elections from NA-112 Sambrial, Sialkot-III) while the party has fielded another Rajput-Rana Biradari’s former MPA Rana Muhammad Iqbal Harnah in PP-121 Bajwat, Sialkot-I).
Similarly Rana Muhammad Afzal will be the PML-N candidate in PP-128 Satrah, Sialkot-VIII) and Rana Liaqat Ali Bilour will be the candidate in PP-126 Chawinda, Sialkot-VI).
The PML-N leadership has awarded two tickets to the Variyo family of Sialkot - one for the National Assembly constituency and another for Provincial Assembly. The party has fielded Variyo family’s scion Ch Armaghan Subhani in NA-111 Bajwat, Sialkot-II against PPP’s Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan. It is to be noted that Ch Armaghan Subhani is former provincial minister and son of former federal minister Ch Abdul Sattar Variyo.
PML-N has also fielded Ch Tariq Subhani, son of late Ch Akhtar Ali Variyo in PP 125 Sialkot-V) here.
Both the candidates belong to the Gujjar Biradari. Similarly the PML-N candidates Ch Munawar Ali Gill for PP-127 Pasrur, Sialkot-VII), Ch Mohsin Ashraf PP-129 Daska, Sialkot-IX and Ch Arshad Javaid Warraich PP-131 Sambrial, Sialkot-XI are belonged to Jutt Biradari.
Arshad Javaid Warraich is a leading exporter of Sialkot and also very close companion of PML-N stalwart Khawaja Muhammad Asif. In Constituency NA-110 Sialkot City-I, the PML-N candidate Khawaja Muhammad Asif belonged to Kashmiri Biradari and is a leading businessman. He is the four-time winner from this constituency, famous as a stronghold of PML-N. Kh Asif is the son of local veteran politician late Khawaja Muhammad Safdar who had been Chairman Majlis-e-Shoora in Gen Ziaul Haq regime. Sahibzada Syed Iftikharul Hassan Shah, the PML-N candidate for NA-113 Daska, Sialkot-IV) belongs to prominent religious and spiritual family of Aallo Mahaar Sharif near Daska. He is the son of an eloquent religious orator Sahibzada Syed Faizul Hassan Shah. In 2008 general elections, the PML-N candidate Sahibzada Syed Murtaza Ameen (the son-in-law of Syed Iftikharul Hassan Shah) was elected as MNA. Now, the PML-N has awarded ticket to Sahibzada Syed Iftikharul Hassan Shah, who had been loyal with the PML-N since 1985 despite hard times in the General Pervez Musharraf Regime.
In constituency NA-114 Pasrur, Sialkot-V), the PML-N candidate Zahid Hamid belongs to Pasrur’s Kakkey Zai Biradari. He is the younger brother of former Punjab governor Shahid Hamid. His father Brig Hamid had contested the general election from this constituency as PPP candidate in Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto (ZAB) regime.
In constituency PP-122 Sialkot City-II), the PML-N has fielded a financial tycoon Ch Muhammad Ikram as its candidate. He belongs to the Arayeen Biradari and was elected as MPA from the constituency on PML-N ticket during the by-polls held in December 2012. He is also stated to be very close companion of Khawaja Muhammad Asif.
In constituency NA-112 Sambrial, Sialkot-III, the PML-N has fielded former MPA Rana Shamim Ahmed instead of his son former MNA Rana Abdul Sattar.
In constituency PP-131 Sambrial, Sialkot-XI, the PML-N has ignored its former MPA Ch Liaqat Ali and has awarded ticket to Ch Arshad Javaid Warraich. He is a leading exporter and is considered a close aide of Kh Asif. In constituency PP-130 Daska, Sialkot-X, the party has ignored its former MPA Ch Yahiya Gul Nawaz and has awarded ticket to former Daska Bar Association president Muhammad Asif Bajwa. He enjoys complete support of his Mughal Biradari.