163 heavyweights set to contest 14 Lahore constituencies

163 candidates all set to do battle for 14 constituencies of the city

ISLAMABAD: A nerve-wracking fight is expected in 14 constituencies of Lahore city as 163 heavyweight contestants are flexing their muscles in the political battlefield on July 25. Efforts are afoot day and night to muster the support of around 5,398,623 voters who are registered to cast ballots for National Assembly seats.

The competition is neck and neck among candidates of various parties such as Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). Lahore, the country's second most populous city and the capital of Punjab, has a total of 14 National and 30 provincial assembly seats.

General Elections 2013 proved a great success for PML-N which had obtained 12 seats out of 13. Under the new delimitations, Lahore had been given one additional seat so there will be 14 constituencies now. Major contenders of PML-N and PTI are hopeful of big wins as heads of the two parties, Shehbaz Sharif and Imran Khan, are contesting from the city.



The largest constituency in the city, population and area wise, is NA-124 which has been carved out of the old city area. Its total headcount is 522,226 voters. The smallest constituency is NA-135, with only 243,289 estimated voters.

PML-N's Malik Muhammad Riaz will take on PTI's Mehar Wajid Azeem in NA-123. Another 11 candidates will also contest election from the constituency. In the last election, Malik Muhammad Riaz won the seat from this constituency by securing 103,310 votes, while PTI's Hamid Zaman got 43,570 votes. For the seat of NA-124, PML-N's Hamza Shahbaz and PTI's Nauman Qaiser will go head-to-head, whereas Pakistan Peoples' Party's (PPP) Babu Zaheer will also be among the contenders. Previously NA-119, Muhammad Hamza Shehbaz won the seat by securing 107,707 votes, while PTI's Muhammad Madni got 40,797 votes.

A total of 14 candidates are set to take part in election from NA-125, including PML-N's Maryam Nawaz as an independent. However, in a tweet, the former PM Nawaz Sharif’s daughter said she would not contest the election from this consistency.  A real battle royale is expected between PTI's Dr Yasmin Rashid and PML-N Waheed Alam from this consistency. Previously NA-120, former prime minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif won the seat by securing 91, 666 votes from this constituency,  while his wife Kulsoom Nawaz contested the election and won the seat for PML-N after Nawaz was disqualified.

For NA-126, PTI's Hammad Azhar, PML-N's Mehar Ishtiaq and three others will take part in the polls. In the last election, Mehar Ishtiaq Ahmad had won the seat for PML-N by obtaining 114,421 votes while Barrister Hammad Azhar from PTI was declared runner-up with 68,227 votes. When it comes to NA-127, PTI's Jamsheed Iqbal Cheema, PML-N's Maryam Nawaz and eight other contestants will vie for the seat.

In the last general election, Muhammad Pervez Malik from PML-N was declared the winner with 126,877 votes, while PTI Atif Chaudhary stood second by securing 40617 votes. The battle for NA-128 will be between PML-N's Rohail Asghar and PTI's Ijaz Diyal, while 12 others have also filed their nomination papers.

In 2013, Sheikh Rohail Asghar was a declared member of National Assembly as he secured 119,289 votes, while his PTI rival Waleed Iqbal managed to get 42,119 votes. A tough competition is also expected for the NA-129 seat where PML-N's Sardar Ayaz Sadiq will go up against PTI's Aleem Khan, while nine other contestants will also be up for election.



In the last election from this constituency, Khawaja Saad Rafique from PML-N secured the seat by obtaining 123,094 votes while PTI’s Advocate Hamid Khan clinched 83,190 votes. PML-N's Khawaja Hassan and PTI's Shafqat Mahmood will contest for the NA-130 seat. In the last election, Shafqat Mehmood had won the seat by securing 96,666 votes, while PML-N Khawaja Ahmad Hassan stood second with 89,000 votes.

PTI Chief Imran Khan will take on PML-N's Khawaja Saad Rafique NA-131 consistency, which has been created after a fresh census.

PML-N President Shahbaz Sharif will contest from NA-132 against PTI's Mansha Sindhu. Previously, the election from this constituency was won by PML-N's Sohail Shaukat Butt. PML-N's Pervaiz Malik and PTI's Ijaz Chaudhry will face off for NA-133 seat, previously from where PML-N's Waheed Alam Khan had won by securing 102,136 votes, while Nusrallah Mughal PTI got 45,927 votes. PML-N's Rana Mubashir and PTI's Zaheer Abbas Khokhar will fight for the NA-134 seat previously from where PML-N's Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif won by securing 93436 votes in 2013.

PTI's Karamat Khokhar and PML-N's Saiful Malook Khokhar will take each other on for the NA-135 seat from where PML-N's Afzal Khokhar won by getting 122464 votes in 2013

Lastly, PML-N's Muhammad Afzal Khokhar will face PTI Malik Asad Khokhar for NA-136.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 6^th, 2018.