MULTAN, June 26: Former federal minister Sikandar Bosan seems to have binned the nomination papers which he had obtained on Monday to get candidature for NA-151 by-polls. The seat fell vacant after the Supreme Court ruled former prime minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani, who was elected MNA from NA-151, disqualified on June 19.

Mr Bosan, the traditional rival to the Gilani, fueled speculations when he obtained the nomination papers on Monday against the policy of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) which he had joined a few months ago.

Since the PTI has boycotted by-polls, it was predicted that Mr Bosan would defect to the PML-N to take part in the polls. But Mr Bosan proved all speculation wrong on Tuesday, the last day for filing the nominations. He, however, has not given a walkover to the Gilanis as his brother, Shaukat Bosan, is in the field as an independent candidate.

Eighteen candidates filed their nomination papers on Tuesday who are: Syed Abdul Qadir Gilani, Malik Shaukat Hayat Bosan, Ishaq Bucha, Dr Chaudhry Aleem, Shehla Shaheen, Rana Mehboob Alam, Nawab Muhammad Iqbal Khan, Jahanzeb Bucha, Hakim Ghulam Moeenuddin, Farhan Ahmed Ansari, Malik Muhammad Hasnain Bosan, Muhammad Abid Yousaf, Nawab Nadimuddin, Syed Ali Haider Gilani, Professor Lajpal, Zahid Hameed Gujar, Mehar Ghulam Shabir Sial and Ilyas Athangal. The nomination papers will be scrutinized on June 29 and polling will be held on July 19.

The list may shrink in the coming days as Haider Gilani is an alternative to Qadir Gilani, Hasnain Bosan to Shaukat Bosan and Jahanzeb Bucha is alternative to Ishaq Bucha.

Sources said the PTI would test its popularity through support Shaukat Bosan in the election and PTI President Javed Hashmi and Vice Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi would use their influence in the favor of independent candidate Bosan.

Qadir Gilani will be the Pakistan People’s Party candidate and Ishaq Bucha will represent the Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N). — Staff Correspondent