Farhat Abbas
SARGODHA - The Nation Assembly constituency NA-65, consists of Kotmoman and countryside of Bhalwal and Sargodha, is being considered the most backward regions and is the most significant constituency of the district politically. The region is notorious for sale out of human kidney due to poverty and burden of heavy loans the poor get from landlords.
PML-N chief Muhammad Nawaz Sharif won the National Assembly seat from the constituency in 1998 and became the premier of Pakistan. According to the Punjab government statistics, about 5,000 people including women have sold their kidneys because of extreme poverty. In 2002 General Election, Chaudhry Ghias Ahmed Mela, the federal minister of state for human resource development, got 62,306 votes and became MNA on PML-Q ticket. However, PPP candidate Mehr Khaliq Yar got 59,034 votes while Ehtsham Ahmed Cheema of the PML-N obtained 8,299 votes. Ghias contested the 2008 General Elections and got victory by obtaining 53,518 votes while PPP candidate Mehr Khaliq obtained 53,257 votes and became runner-up. The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz candidate, Mohsin Shah Nawaz Ranjha, could grab 41,655 votes.
Now, Ghias Cheema is actively participating in the electioneering for the upcoming elections. On the other hand, Session Judge (r) Allah Bakhash Ranjha is considered to be a strong candidate of Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf while Jamaat-e-Islami has announced Zabir Ahmed Gondal as its candidate whereas Rao Abdul Qayyoum will be expected candidate of JUI-F in the upcoming elections. In case of seat adjustment of the PPP and PML-Q, the PML-N will have to be more attentive to attract the voters through its policies and nomination of a strong candidate for the seat.