As the clock ticks towards February 9 general elections, the electoral battleground has transformed into a spectacle of political rivalries after the unveiling of party tickets, setting the stage for a fierce showdown among heavyweights in the upcoming polls.
With the closing of the nomination withdrawal window by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Friday, prominent figures from various parties are bracing for intense face-offs in several key constituencies. The politicos found themselves pitted against each other as parties have already wrapped up awarding of tickets, throwing their hat in the ring.
In the political capital, Lahore, political giants will collide as PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif and PTI’s Yasmin Rashid prepare for a showdown in NA-130, while Hamza Shehbaz and Aliya Hamza Malik are set for a head-to-head in NA-18.
Similarly, Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party’s chief Jahangir Tareen and PTI's Malik Amir Dogar are poised for a contest in NA-149.
Meanwhile, the recently PTI-converted Sardar Latif Khosa will face PML-N’s Khawaja Saad Rafique in NA-122, and JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman will go head-to-head with PTI’s Ali Amin Gandapur in NA-44.
Furthermore, Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani and PTI’s Ghulam Qadir Sanjrani are set for a contest in NA-260.
In NA-128, PTI's Salman Akram Raja and IPP's Awn Chaudhry will lock horns.
As for NA-123 Lahore, the stage is set for a fierce contest between Shehbaz Sharif and PTI's Afzal Azim.
Moreover, former prime minister Nawaz Sharif is set to take on PTI's Gustasif Khan in NA-15 Mansehra.
Three-way tussles
In NA-56 Rawalpindi, Sheikh Rasheed, PML-N's Hanif Abbasi, and PTI's Shehryar Riaz will compete for dominance while, in NA-54, Chaudhry Nisar, IPP's Ghulam Sarwar Khan, and PTI's Colonel (retd) Ajmal Saber will vie for victory.
In NA-47 Islamabad, PML-N's Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, IPP's Aamir Kayani, PTI's Shoaib Shaheen, and Jamaat-e-Islami's Mian Aslam are set for a riveting contest.
In NA-55 Rawalpindi, Barrister Daniyal Chaudhry of PML-N and Raja Basharat of PTI prepare for a political duel.
Meanwhile, in NA-52, Raja Pervez Ashraf, Raja Javed Ikhlas of PML-N, and Tariq Uzair Bhatti of PTI are ready for a three-way tussle.
NA-58 Rawalpindi sees PTI's Ayaz Amir and PML-N Major (retd) Tahir Iqbal engage in a political battle. Similarly, the stakes are also high in NA-49, with PML-N's Sheikh Aftab and PTI's Major (retd) Tahir Sadiq facing off.
Meanwhile in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, in NA-33, Parvez Khattak and PTI's Shahid Ahad Khattak brace for a fierce contest. The political battleground extends to NA-207 Shaheed Benazirabad, where former president Asif Ali Zardari and PTI's Sardar Sher Mohammad Rind Baloch will lock horns.
As for the provincial constituencies, in PP-147 Lahore, Hamza Shehbaz and Mohammad Khan Madani of PTI are set for a face-off. PP-159 Lahore will witness a political duel between Maryam Nawaz and PTI's Mehr Sharafat Ali.
In PP-164 Lahore, Shehbaz Sharif and PTI's Yousaf Mayo prepare for a political battle, while Shehbaz Sharif and PTI's Chaudhry Yusuf Ali brace for a contest in PP-158 Lahore.
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