LAHORE – By-elections for National Assembly and Punjab Assembly constituencies would be held on December 4, as 23 candidates contest for National Assembly seats and 38 for the Punjab Assembly.
Twelve candidates are in the run for NA-107, Gujrat-IV, while the major contestants include joint candidate of PML-Q and PPP Rehman Naseer Chaudhry and PML-N’s Muhammad Hanif Malik. The other candidates are Ch. Shabbir Ahmed, Rashid Mehmood, Mubashar Hussain Shah, Irfan Naseer Ch, Allama Shabbir Ahmed Chisti, Ali Asghar, Muhammad Riaz Chib, Malik Faisal Javed Awan, Nadeem Aashiq and Nauman Ashraf Ch.
Eleven candidates are in the run for NA-162, Sahiwal-III. Major contenders for this seat include Ch Zahid Iqbal of PML-N, Rai Hassan Nawaz, independent but affiliated with PTI and PPP-PML-Q joint runner Mehr Muhammad Ali Farid Kathiya. Six candidates contest for PP-26, Jhelum-III. PML-Q-PPP jointly field Muhammad Arif from this constituency, while the PML-N due to differences among the central, provincial and local leaderships left this seat open.
However, Raja Muhammad Afzal with the blessings of PML-N high command is contesting the by-polls, while Ch Khadim Hussain, another PML-N leader is competing with the support of provincial leadership, while the local groups expected to back Raja Afzal.
The other three contenders include Ch. Muhammad Ishfaq, Raja Zafar Iqbal and Sufi Muhammad Aziz. A total of 12 contenders are running for the PP-92, Gujranwala-II, which include PPP-PML-Q joint candidate, Lala Asad Ullah Papa and PML-N’s Muhammad Nawaz Chohan. The other candidates include Baoo Muhammad Akram, Shaukat Ali, Zafar Iqbal, Omer Nawaz Chohan, Lala Muhammad Waqas, Luqman Khalid, Muhammad Arshad Farooq, Muhammad Ishaq, Muzamil Hussain and Mehr Muhammad Sarfaraz.
Ch Ansar Iqbal Baryar, PML-Q-PPP joint candidate and Ch. Mohsin Ashraf, PML-N contender are among the six candidates fighting to get PP-129, Sialkot-IX in the by-polls. The other four contenders include Mansoor Ahmed Baryar, Syed Imran Haider, Shahid Mehmood Butt and Mussarat Afzal. Four candidates are contesting the by-polls for PP-133, Narowal-II, including Ch. Umar Sharif Ahmed as PML-Q-PPP joint candidate and Dr Naimat Ali Javed of the PML-N, besides Muhammad Zeshan Raza Ansari and Muhammad Ghiasud Din. Nasim Iqbal as PML-Q-PPP joint candidate and PML-N’s Muhammad Hanif are among the 10 candidates fighting to grab PP-226, Sahiwal-VII.
The other contenders include Saqib Naseer Gujjar, Jamsheed Alam Ch, Ch Muhammad Hanif Jutt, Rana Muhammad Akram, Muhammad Iqbal, Muhammad Akram Dewal, Saifur Rehman Joya and Noor Ahmed.