The unveiling of party tickets has turned the electoral battlefield into a spectacle of political rivalries in Lahore, leading up to the general elections on February 9. This has set the stage for a tough clash between heavyweights in the upcoming polls.
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) closed the nomination withdrawal window on Friday, and now prominent people from different parties are preparing for fierce contests in several important constituencies. After the parties finished handing out tickets, the politicians found themselves in a position where they had to compete with one another.
In Lahore, the political capital of Pakistan, two titans of the political spectrum will square off in two upcoming elections: one in NA-130, between PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif and PTI’s Yasmin Rashid, and another in NA-18, between Hamza Shehbaz and Aliya Hamza Malik.
In NA-149, a similar showdown is likely between Malik Amir Dogar of the PTI and Jahangir Tareen of the Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party.
While in NA-122 PML-N’s Khawaja Saad Rafique and JUI-F chairman Maulana Fazlur Rehman square off, in NA-44 PTI’s Ali Amin Gandapur faces off against Sardar Latif Khosa, who just converted to PTI.
And in NA-260, we have a struggle between PTI’s Ghulam Qadir Sanjrani and Sadiq Sanjrani, the chairman of the Senate.
Salman Akram Raja of the PTI and Awn Chaudhry of the IPP will square off in NA-128.
Shehbaz Sharif and Afzal Azim, of the PTI, are preparing for a heated battle in NA-123 Lahore.
Also, in NA-15 Mansehra, former prime minister Nawaz Sharif will face off against PTI’s Gustasif Khan.
Interactive battles
While in NA-54 Chaudhry Nisar will face off against IPP’s Ghulam Sarwar Khan and PTI’s Colonel (retd) Ajmal Sabre, Sheikh Rasheed, PML-N’s Hanif Abbasi, and PTI’s Shehryar Riaz will all be vying for supremacy.
An exciting struggle is about to unfold in NA-47 Islamabad among four candidates: Tariq Fazal Chaudhry of the PML-N, Aamir Kayani of the IPP, Shoaib Shaheen of the PTI, and Mian Aslam of Jamaat-e-Islami.
Barrister Daniyal Chaudhry of the PML-N and Raja Basharat of the PTI are getting ready for a political showdown in NA-55 Rawalpindi.
In NA-52, a three-way fight is about to break out between PML-N’s Raja Javed Ikhlas and PTI’s Tariq Uzair Bhatti.
Not applicable. Rawalpindi is the site of a political showdown between Ayaz Amir of the PTI and Tahir Iqbal, a major from the PML-N (retd). In NA-49, the contest between PML-N’s Sheikh Aftab and PTI’s Major (retd) Tahir Sadiq is likewise much anticipated.
Parvez Khattak and Shahid Ahad Khattak, both of the PTI, are preparing for a heated battle in NA-33 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Asif Ali Zardari, a former president, and Sardar Sher Mohammad Rind Baloch, a member of the PTI, will square off in NA-207 Shaheed Benazirabad.
When it comes to provincial seats, PTI’s Mohammad Khan Madani and Hamza Shehbaz will square off in PP-147 Lahore. A political showdown between Maryam Nawaz and Mehr Sharafat Ali of the PTI is going down at PP-159 in Lahore.
A political showdown is brewing in PP-164 Lahore between Shehbaz Sharif and Yousaf Mayo of the PTI, and in PP-158 Lahore, Shehbaz Sharif and Chaudhry Yusuf Ali of the PTI are getting ready to face off.
