LAHORE: As heavyweights from across the political spectrum continued to collect and submit their nomination papers in Punjab, a possibility of a number of interesting electoral contests emerged on Friday.

Chief among those who obtained nomination papers were PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and PTI founder Imran Khan.

Mr Sharif’s nomination papers were collected by former PML-N MNA Bilal Yasin in the NA-130 constituency, who is also a covering candidate for the same seat

His brother, PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif, has got papers for NA-123 and Punjab Assembly seats PP-158 and PP-164 from Lahore. His papers have also been filed for NA-132, Kasur.

PPP chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari papers were filed for NA-128 in Lahore, where PML-N’s Khawaja Ahmed Hassaan and Jamaat-i-Islami’s Liaqat Baloch are among the other candidates.

Bilawal files papers for Lahore’s NA-128, will face N’s Khawaja Ahmed, Liaqat Baloch

Even though his eligibility to contest elections is still up in the air, PTI founder Imran Khan’s nomination papers were also filed for NA-89 in Mianwali.

Javed Iqbal, the father of PTI’s incarcerated social media activist Sanam Javed, also announced his daughter will be contesting the elections against Shehbaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz, who will be a candidate from PP-150 in Lahore.

Mr Iqbal also collected papers for NA-123, PP-150, 158 and 164 on behalf of his daughter.

Meanwhile, Istehkam-i-Pakistan Party (IPP) central information secretary Khurram Hameed Rokhari submitted his nominations for NA-89, where he will be up against Imran Khan, while PPP’s Nawab Amir Muhammad Khan and PML-N’s Ubaidullah Shadi Khel are also in the run for the same seat.

At the same time, IPP President Abdul Aleem Khan is looking to contest the elections from NA-147 Khanewal, and he is also likely to run for a National Assembly constituency in Lahore.

National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf has filed his nominations for NA-52 and his son Khurram Pervaiz for PP-8 from Gujar Khan.

Former chief minister and PTI president Parvez Elahi will be a candidate for NA-69, Mandi Bahauddin, and former defence minister Khawaja Asif from NA-71, Sialkot.

The latter has also submitted his nominations for two Punjab Assembly seats — PP-46 and 47.

In Jhang, former interior minister Faisal Saleh Hayat, former federal minister Sahibzada Mehboob Sultan and Ghulam Bibi Bharwana have all filed papers from NA-108. Bharwana, Sultan and Maulana Muhammad Ahmed Ludhianvi will be the candidates in NA-109 and Sahibzada Amir Sultan among seven other hopefuls will run for NA-110.

PPP’s Nadeem Afzal Chan has collected papers for two National Assembly seats from Sargodha — NA-82 and 86. PML-N’s Ataullah Tarar is hoping to contest for NA-77, Gujranwala.

Meanwhile, former PM Shahid Khaqan Abbasi will not be contesting the elections from any platform, Dawn learned from sources close to the PML-N stalwart who has grown distant from the party in recent days.

Sources said that due to pressure from constituents, his son Nader will now be filing papers from the NA-51 constituency in Murree as an independent candidate

Atika Rehman in London also contributed to this report

Published in Dawn, December 23rd, 2023