RAWALPINDI: Ahead of the elections for the Punjab Assembly scheduled to be held on April 30, Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam Fazlur Rehman (JUI-F) Rawalpindi chapter has announced its candidates for 15 seats in the district.

However, Pakistan People’s Party Parliamentarians (PPPP), Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) and others are yet to decide candidates.

Addressing a press conference, JUI-F scrutiny committee head for Rawalpindi Dr Ziaur Rehman said that the JUI-F finalised its candidates for 15 seats and all candidates will start their election campaign.

“JUI-F is holding talks with other Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) political parties and allies to contest elections. We will talk for seat-to-seat adjustment with PPP and PML-N,” he said.

He said that the candidates had been asked to create awareness among people about wrong economic policies of the Imran Khan-led former government. “PTI destroyed the country’s democracy and economy for their foreign agenda,” he said and alleged that Imran Khan was a foreign agent.

He said that JUI-F selected honest candidates for elections and they would visit door-to-door to inform people about wrong and right. “It is our duty to inform the people about conspiracies of international mafia and their agents in the country,” he said.

He said that in the provincial assembly elections, the JUI-F will win in Punjab and it will give a surprise to its opponents, adding that in the PTI’s time in power, people faced inflation, shortage of edibles and other problems.

The JUI-F announced its party candidates. Arshad Abbasi from PP 6, Raja Zia Bashir from PP-7, Qari Yusuf from PP- 8, Mufti Mohsin Nawaz from Gujar Khan PP-9, Malik Rehan from PP-10, Mufti Musarat Javed Chaudhry Zahid from PP-11, Sardar Rashid Naeem from PP-12, Ziaullah Khan from PP-13, Maulana Gul Azeem Shah from PP-14, Maulana Umar Ali Haqqani from PP-15, Qari Karamatur Rehman from PP-16, Prof Zubair Abbasi from PP-17, Amir of JUI Rawalpindi Dr Zia ur Rahman will contest the election from PP-18, Iqbal Awan from PP-19 and and Malik Safeer Alam will be the candidate of JUI for PP-20.

On the other hand, PTI will announce its party candidates during the next month.

The party did not decide the names of candidates despite the fact that it is more interested in elections.

A senior party leader told Dawn that the party asked expected candidates to submit their nomination papers and party tickets would be decided later. He said that the party had enough people who wanted to contest elections on a PTI ticket.

When contacted, PTI’s Arif Abbasi said that the party decided almost all the candidates in the district and an announcement will be made soon. However, he said that the last date of submission of party ticket with Pakistan Election Commission is April 5.

PML-N former MNA Malik Shakil Awan said that the party finalised party candidates but made an announcement for District Rawalpindi soon. He said that the party would participate in elections with full strength.

PPP already sought applications for party tickets from expected candidates but it will not decide about its candidates. “Candidates will be decided in the meeting expected to be held with the PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari in a week or two,” said a senior party leader.

Arrangements finalised

The district administration on Sunday completed arrangements to start the process of receiving nomination papers for the provincial assembly elections.

A meeting of returning officers (ROs) was held with Deputy Commissioner Dr Hasan Waqar Cheema for the provincial assembly elections.

The deputy commissioner said as per law the district administration would facilitate the election commission to hold the elections.

He said that the caretaker government had directed to provide a level playing field to the candidates and in this regard the candidates would also play their role to maintain law and order.

He said the nomination papers for the election in Rawalpindi will be collected on March 13-14 (Monday-Tuesday).

He said that names of the candidates who submitted their nomination papers will be displayed on March 15 while the nomination papers will be scrutinised on March 22.

The final date for the appeal will be April 3. He said the list of candidates will be displayed on April 4 while the final list will be displayed on April 5.

The election symbols will be issued to the candidates on April 6.

Published in Dawn, March 13th, 2023