Wah cantt - As many as 61 aspirant candidates are in run for one national assembly and two provincial seats of Taxila as different political parties and pressure groups have grid up their lions including political heavy weights for upcoming general elections.
According to official list issued by local offices of election commission of Pakistan (ECP), as many as 22 aspirant candidates are running for PP-19 (Taxila) and the same for provincial assembly seat PP-20 (Wah) while 17 are contesting for national assembly constituency NA-63 (Rawalpindi- VII). PTI Vice President and elected member national assembly, Ghulam Sarwar Khan who is the arch rival of PML-N stalwart Ch Nisar Ali Khan has submitted his nomination paper for national assembly constituency NA-63 on Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf ticket. His nephew Ammar Sadeeq Khan, the son of former member Punjab assembly from Taxila and former tehsil Nazim Sadeeq Khan submitted nomination papers for provincial assembly seat PP-19 (Taxila) while outgoing member Punjab assembly from Wah again submitted his nomination papers for his constituency PP-20 (Wah). Both candidates are enjoying party tickets. Prof Waqas Khan who also remains member Punjab assembly from Wah Cantt in 2002 elections from MMA platform has submitted nomination papers for provincial assembly seat PP-20 (Wah) and national assembly constituency NA-63, Rawalpindi IV. He is an expected candidate for newly re-launched Muttahida Majlis–e–Amal (MMA) - -political alliance consisting of ultra–conservative, Islamist, religious, and far-right parties. Pakistan people’s party local leader Amir Iqbal Khan submitted his nomination papers for provincial assembly seat PP-20 (Wah) Malik Shahid Nawaz submitted his nomination papers for provincial assembly seat PP-19 (Taxila). Faisal Iqbal- known as Edhi of Wah- who leads local pressure political group have also filed his nomination papers for national as well as provincial assembly seat of Wah Cantt (PP-12). Tehreek-e-Labaik Pakistan candidates also submitted their nomination papers. After announcement on Monday that he would contest elections as independent candidate, Malik Saeed Nawaz has submitted nomination papers for provincial assembly seat PP-20 (Wah) from his panel. Besides political heavyweights like PML-N stalwart and former minister for interior Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan and PTI Vice President and former federal minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan, candidates from religious and national political parties are participating in the upcoming general election which has increased the political temperature in the area.
PML- N aspirant candidates including Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, outgoing provincial assembly from Taxila Haji Umer Farooq and other leaders have already submitted their nomination papers.
Meanwhile returning officer Tahir Abbas Sipra, additional district and session judge has issued notice to 17 aspirant candidates of national assembly constituency NA-63 (Rawalpindi- VII) for scrutiny of their nomination papers including former minister for interior Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan and PTI Vice President Ghulam Sarwar Khan besides Mulana Mohammad Sarwar, PML-N district President Sardar Mumtaz Khan, Ijaz Ahmed, Safeer Alam, former MPA Umer Fraooq, former MPA Shafque Khan, Usman Khalid Khan, PML-N President Taxila chapter Fayyaz Khan, Faisal Iqbal, Aqeel Ahmed, Syed Ishrat Zaidi and Qari Habib Ur Rehman.
