GUJRAT: The wife of Pakistan Tehreek Insaaf (PTI) president and former Punjab chief minister Chaudhry Parvez Elahi, Ms Qaisera Elahi and her sister Sumaira Elahi were not allowed to file their nomination papers here on Friday, as the police deployed at the office of returning officer (RO) for NA-64 did not let them to enter the premises.

Party sources said the Ms Qaisera wanted to submit her papers for NA-64 (Gujrat-Kunjah), whereas her sister Sumaira Elahi had to file papers for PP-34 (Dinga-Mungowal).

However, they said, the nomination papers of Parvez Elahi have been filed for NA-69 (Malakwal-Qadirabad) seat in Mandi Bahauddin. Former PML-N MNA Nasir Iqbal Bosal will also be contesting from this constituency.

Surprisingly, the legal team of Mr Elahi also filed his nomination papers for PP-33 (Lalamusa city), from where he had never contested any election in the past.

A close aide of Mr Elahi and former Punjab education minister Mian Imran Masood, who had earlier filed his papers for PP-31 (Gujrat city), has also filed his papers for NA-65 (Lalamusa-Dinga). However, sources say he may later withdraw his papers from the constituency.

Former federal minister and PPP stalwart Qamar Zaman Kaira, former PTI MNA Faizul Hssan Shah who had announced to quit the PTI a few days ago, have also filed their nomination papers for NA-65. Hamza Qamar Kaira, the son of Mr Kaira, besides Nasir Shah, a brother of Faizul Hassan Shah and his two nephews have also filed their papers for the same constituency.

Former federal minister Chaudhry Salik Hussain and his elder brother Shafay Hussain have filed their nomination papers for two constituencies each. Salik filed papers for NA-64 and PP-32 (Kunjah), whereas Shafay for PP-31 and PP-32.

Former MNA Nawabzada Ghazanfar Ali Gul and his son Nawabzada Haider Mehdi of the PML- N and ex PML-Q MNA Chaudhry Hussain Elahi have filed papers for NA-63 (Jalalpur Jattan-Tanda).

Ex-PML-N MNA Abid Raza Kotla and his brother ex-MPA Shabeer Kotla filed their papers for both NA-62 (Sara-i-Alamgir-Kharian) and PP-28 (Kotla). Chaudhry Musa Elahi, the son of former federal minister Chaudhry Wajahat Hussain, has also filed his nomination papers for NA-62 against the Kotla brothers.

Gujrat PPP leader Mian Fakhar Mushtaq Pagganwala filed his papers for PP-31 (Gujrat city), while North Punjab Jamaat-i-Islami emir Dr Tariq Saleem and Gujrat JI district emir Ansar Mehmood Dhool advocate filed their papers for PP-28 and PP 31, respectively.

Another former MPA Irfanuddin advocate filed his papers for PP-28 (Kotla), whereas a former PTI ticket-holder from the constituency, Nasir Chappar, filed his papers for PP-27 and PP-28, whereas the papers of two times PTI ticket-holder from NA-62 Chaudhry Ilyas and his son have also been filed for these constituencies.

At least 155 nomination papers have been filed for four NA and eight PA seats of Gujrat district on Friday, and more papers may be filed as the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has extended the last date for filing papers till Dec 24.

Published in Dawn, December 23rd, 2023