BAHAWALPUR: If the PML-N and the new entrant, Istehkam-i-Pakistan Party (IPP) failed to reach a seat adjustment formula in Lodhran district, the chief of the later party, Jahangir Tareen, will have to face a tough contest in NA-155 his native district.

Dawn has learn that Mr Jahangir Tareen, after assessing the situation, has already filed his nomination papers from NA-149 Multan constituency as well. Mr Tareen has submitted his nomination papers for two seats of the National Assembly and four of the Punjab Assembly.

Tareen’s main rival, PML-N ‘s Abdul Rehman Kanju has already opposed seat adjustment with IPP, asking his party’s leadership not to force him in this regard.

Under these conditions, it seems that if the PML-N accepts Mr Kanju’s point of view, Tareen will have to face a tough competition in his native Lodhran district in the upcoming election.

Meanwhile, 14 candidates who submitted their nomination papers from NA-154 (Lodhran) include PML-N divisional president and ex-interior state minister Abdul Rehman Kanju, and his mother Imtiaz Begum, PTI leader Akhtar Khan Kanju (an uncle of Abdul Rehman Kanju), ex-MNA Nawab Amanullah Khan, Ajmal Khan Kanju, Rana Faraz Noon, Rana Afzal Noon, Pir Raza Shah, Imdadullah Abbasi of PPP, Sohail Khan Kanju, Muhammad Zubair, Zafar Iqbal, Irfan Ahmed and Ismat Bibi.

As many as 20 candidates have filed papers from NA-155, including Jahangir Tareen, former MNA Siddique Khan Baloch, ex-MNA of PTI Muhammad Iqbal Shah, his son, ex-MPA Aamir Iqbal Shah, Mudassar Jahanzeb Shah, Rana Muhammad Rafiq of the Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), Shah Nawaz of the PPP, Ziaul Rehman Tamimi of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI), Sajid Iqbal of Pakistan Markazi Muslim League, Saleem Abbas of Saraiki Democratic Alliance, Muhammad Akram Qaiser, Muhammad Qasim, Ghulam Mustafa, Wasim Ahmed, Ahmed Deen Malik and Nafees Murad Meo.

A total of 19 candidates have filed papers from provincial assembly constituency PP-225 (Lodhran -1), They include Abdul Rehman Kanju, ex-minister Jail Zawwar Hussain Waraich, ex-MPA Pirzada Jahangir Bhutta, Tahir Hussain Khan, Muhammad Razaq, Muhammad Saleem Akhtar, Ashiq Hussain Baloch, Imran Habib Bhutta, Kaleem Hassan, Ali Hassan, Nadira Hayatullah, Aftab Ali Babar, Muhammad Mubeen, Mumtaz Hussain Baloch, Shazia Hayat Tareen, Intizar Ahmad Attari, Muhammad Yuosuf, Rab Nawaz Khan and Waseem Abbas.

ENCOUNTER: The Machiwal police in Vehari district claimed that a suspect allegedly involved in 18 cases of gruesome crimes was injured in an ‘encounter’ near Pull Chak 557-EB on Tuesday.

According to police PRO, the suspect, Sadaf, was being taken by a police party for recovery of looted items, when his two accomplices opened fire on the police van in a bid to free him.

The police said the suspect was inured in the firing by his accomplices and was shifted to hospital for treatment. A case against the attackers was registered for firing on police, he added.

PROTEST: A large number of local consumers staged a protest demo at a ‘complaint centre’organised by the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) outside the regional offices of the Sui Northern Gas Pipeline Limited (SNGPL) here, alleging non-provision of gas.

According to a JI press release, the consumers while demonstrating against the company demanded regular gas supply in the city.On the occasion, JI’ candidate for PP-254, Nasrullah Khan, collected complaints from hundreds of consumers and handed these over to the SNGPL Regional Manager Ruman Omar, who assured that their issues would be redressed.

TWO DIE: Two men died when their motorcycle collided with a tractor-trolley on Tailwala Road near Yazman, about 40kms from here.

According to police, Maqbool (60) and Mahboob (20) died on the spot, while another man, identified as Azam (60), who was riding pillion, suffered serious injuries in the incident.

Police arrested the tractor driver and shifted he bodies to a nearby rural health centre.

Published in Dawn, December 27th, 2023