BAHAWALPUR, Sept 18: The PPP has fielded four candidates for five National and eight for 10 Punjab assembly seats in Bahawalpur.

Of them, only Aitzaz Ahsan is a known political personality. The other three are new faces. They are Aamir Yar Malik (NA-184), Sardar Muhammad Husain (NA-185), Syed Mubashar Zaman Shah (NA-186) and Aitzaz Ahsan (NA-187). Syed Mubashar is being dubbed a dummy candidate as the PPP leadership is supporting PML-QA candidate Syed Tasnim Nawaz Gardezi against the National Alliance (Millat Party) candidate Mian Riaz Husain Pirzada in NA-186.

Aitzaz Ahsan is a strong candidate so far as PML-N’s Khalid Mahmood Jajja is concerned in NA-187.

The NA-185 candidate, Muhammad Husain, is a lawyer by profession. He had been the president of the High Court Bar Association, Bahawalpur, and is a known figure in his community and judicial circles. He had been a PML-N activist and defected to the PPP recently. His main opponent Syed Tabish Alwari of the PML-QA has an edge over him as he (Tabish) is settled here and has been an ex-MPA. He has been an active PML activist even when he was not awarded a party ticket in the 1997 election by Nawaz Sharif.

The PPP’S third candidate, Aamir Yar Malik, from NA-184, though has landed property in the constituency, his main opponent Safdar Abbasi of the PML-QA is also a local candidate. Mr Abbasi is a former parliamentarian and considered a strong candidate in the constituency.

In these circumstances, these three NA and eight provincial assembly candidates were banking on district Nazim Tariq Cheema who is a PPP activist. But, the Election Commission’s warning to Nazimeen not to take part in any political activities dashed all their hopes.

The EC warning is a double blow to the election campaign of Tasnim Gardezi as his nephew, Owais Gardezi, who is the district Naib Nazim of Bahawalpur, has also been forced to stop canvassing for his uncle against Riaz Pirzada.

Meanwhile, Nawab Salahuddin Abbasi, who wants to remain in the limelight though disqualified due to graduation condition, has been supporting Azhar Mahmood of the PML-QA in NA-187 against PPP’s Aitzaz Ahsan and PML-N’s Khalid Mahmood Jajja. He addressed a meeting at Yazman.

The Nawab also addressed a gathering at the residence of Farooq Azam Malik, a National Alliance (Millat Party) candidate in NA-185.

Sahibzada Farooq Anwar Abbasi, twice elected as MNA and one as MPA from Bahawalpur city and adjacent areas, disqualified on the basis of graduation condition, has been running the campaign of PML-QA candidate Tabish Alwari, and Pirzada Afzal Nizami (PP-271) and Shaukat Arain (PP-272).

Mr Abbasi arranged a meeting at his residence in Model Town on Tuesday night which was largely attended. Mr Abbasi introduced the three candidates to the gathering and sought their support for them.