Nearly 18,000 candidates to contest Feb 8 polls: ECP

• At least 11,785 candidates will contest independently.
• 6,031 candidates will compete via political parties.
• PTI fields candidates independently with different symbols.

ISLAMABAD: As the country gears up to vote during the upcoming general elections on February 8, nearly 18,000 candidates are set to compete in the big contest to grab general seats in the National and provincial legislatures, The News reported on Monday.

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Sunday released its final list of contesting candidates for the NA and provincial assemblies on Form-33.

Among these 17,816 candidates, at least 11,785 will contest independently, while 6,031 will compete under the banner of their respective political parties.

Though the electoral authority has already issued a code of conduct for the contesting candidates and political parties, it is to be seen to which extent it is adhered to, as with each passing day, the war of words among rivals is escalating.

Some prominent political figures, including ex-premier Imran Khan, Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and Asfandyar Wali are not in the run for different reasons. However, there are a number of constituencies where bitter and tough bouts are being anticipated.

After having been denied allotment of election symbol after its intra-party elections were found to be contrary to its own constitution and relevant laws, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has fielded its candidates as independent and each one of them has been allotted a different symbol.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif has fielded himself from NA-15, Mansehra, and NA-130, Lahore, where he faces Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Dr Yasmeen Rashid. A tough contest is being anticipated between the two.

Nawaz's brother and former prime minister Shehbaz Sharif is contesting from NA-123, Kasur, and NA-132, Lahore. From the provincial capital, he faces veteran Liaquat Baloch of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI).

Former president and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari will be vying for NA-207 from his native constituency Shaheed Benazirabad. He faces the PTI-backed Sher Muhammad Rind Baloch as an independent candidate.

His son and PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari will contest from three NA constituencies, two from Sindh and one from Punjab’s NA-127, where he faces PML-N’s Attaullah Tarar. He will face competition in his native constituency Larkana NA-194 and Qambar Shahdadkot, NA-196, from Jamiat Ulema Islam-Fazl’s (JUI-F) Maulana Rashid Mahmood Soomro and incumbent Senator Saifullah Abro and Habibullah respectively, who are backed by PTI.

Former chief minister Hamza Shehbaz of PML-N from NA-118 will face Aliya Hamza as an independent candidate, backed by PTI. Maryam Nawaz is contesting from NA-119, where she will face an independent candidate Shahzad Farooq, who enjoys PTI support.

Likewise, ex-prime minister Senator Yusuf Raza Gilani will be contesting for a National Assembly seat from NA-148, Multan, where he faces independent Barrister Taimur Malik of PTI and Ahmad Hussain of PML-N.

In NA-151 Multan, Gilani’s son Ali Moosa Gilani will face Mehr Bano Qureshi, the daughter of senior PTI leader and former foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, whereas Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP) patron-in-chief Jahangir Tarin and Amir Dogar of PTI will be face-to-face for NA-149, Multan.

In NA-122, Lahore, Khawaja Saad Rafiq of PML-N is slated for a tough contest with senior lawyer Latif Khosa of PTI and in NA-128 Lahore Salman Akram Raja of PTI will have a contest with IPP’s Muhammad Aun Saqlain.

Some other PML-N senior members, who will face resistance mainly from either independents fielded by PTI or PPP, are Rana Sanaullah, Ahsan Iqbal, Ayaz Sadiq, Khurram Dastagir and Abid Sher Ali.

Former chairman PTI Barrister Gohar Ali Khan is expected to have a smooth sailing from NA-10, Buner. PTI-backed Major Tahir Sadiq is contesting from NA-49, Attock, against ex-minister Sheikh Aftab Ahmad of PML-N, whereas his daughter Eman Tahir has been fielded from NA-50, Attock.

Others, who are in the electoral arena face rivals as independent candidates, include former speaker NA Asad Qaiser from NA-19, Swabi and Ali Amin Gandapur from NA-44, where he faces a potential challenge from Maulana Fazlur Rehman, who heads the JUI-F.

Some noted politicians and ex-ministers have switched sides and are contesting from different constituencies including Faisal Saleh Hayat and Mian Ghazanfar Gul.

Locally, tough poll bouts are in hand in Rawalpindi, involving former federal minister and Awami Muslim League Sheikh Rashid Ahmad and Muhammad Hanif Abbasi of PML-N in NA-56 and ex-minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan who is contesting as an independent candidate against his arch-rival Ghulam Sarwar of IPP in NA-54, whereas Azra Masood has been fielded as an independent contestant by PTI.

In NA-241 Karachi, Dr Farooq Sattar of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) will face the challenge from Khurram Sher Zaman of PTI and in NA-242, Karachi, MQM’s Mustafa Kamal will face Khan Mandokhel of PPP and PTI’s Dawa Khan.

Balochistan National Party-Mengal, Awami National Party and PTI-Parliamentarians are among other parties which have fielded candidates from different constituencies from the NA and provincial assembly constituencies.