OKARA, Nov 25: The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has finalised its ticket holders for five National Assembly (NA) and seven Provincial Assembly seats. The Pakistan Muslim League (PML) has finalised ticket holders for four NA seats and is undecided about candidates for Provincial Assembly seats.

The PPP has fielded new faces while the PML’s candidates are former parliamentarians and have been ministers in previous governments.

Rai Noor Muhammad Kharal will be PPP’s candidate from NA-143, while PML has yet to nominate its candidate; Chaudhry Muhammad Arif is PPP’s candidate from NA-144, while former defence minister Rao Sikandar Iqbal will be PML’s candidate from here; from NA-145, the PPP has fielded Syed Samsam Ali Shah Bokhari and the PML has nominated Syed Gulzar Sibtain its candidate; from NA-146, the PPP has awarded ticket to Syed Abbas Raza Rizvi and the PML to Rao Muhammad Ajmal Khan; Sardar Khizar Hayat Ladhoka Watto is PPP’s nominee from NA-147 and the PML has nominated former chief minister Manzoor Watto as its candidate.

The PPP has fielded three new faces –- Mr Kharl, Mr Arif and Mr Bokhari – for NA seats.

For provincial constituencies, the PPP has awarded tickets to: Capt (retd) Rai Ghulam Mujtaba Kharl for PP-185; Chaudhry Javed Allauddin PP-186; Major (retd) Ijaz Shah Mohal PP-188; Rao Khalid Mustafa PP-189; Muhammad Ashraf Khan Sohna PP-190; Rana Ikram Rabbani PP-191; and Mian Asim Maneka PP-193.

For NA-143, three candidates -– former MNA Rai Muhammad Aslam Kharl, former federal minister Syed Sajjad Haider and former tehsil nazim Chaudhry Nadeem Abbas Rubera — are aspirants for the PML ticket. Rao Sikandar Iqbal is backing up Mr Rubera for the ticket.

The PML has yet to finalise candidates for four Okara tehsil provincial assembly seats as most of the candidates are from one family but rival in party politics.

NOMINATION PAPERS: Twenty-eight candidates, former chief minister Manzoor Watto, have submitted nomination papers for National and Provincial assembly seats. Mr Watto submitted his nomination papers for NA-146 and NA-147 and PP-187. His daughter former MNA Robina Watto submitted her nomination paper for NA-146 and his son former MPA Moazzam Watto for PP-187. Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s candidate Dr Lalarukh filed her papers for NA-146 and PP-192. Khalilur Rehman Khurram, Malik Ali Abbas, Malik Moazzam Ghias former MPA Malik Nazar Farid filed their papers for PP-192.

PML-Q candidate and former MNA Rao Muhammad Ajmal Khan filed his papers for NA-146 and PP-192. Former provincial minister Syed Raza Ali Gillani filed his papers for NA-147 and PP-187; Mian Fayyaz Watto for PP-188; Mian Sanaulllah PP-192; Nasir Majeed PP-192; PPP candidate Maj (retd) Ijaz Shahid Mohal PP-192; Rao Safdar Ali Khan and Sardar Hasan Akhtar Moakkal and Walid Shamshad NA-146; Syed Raza Haider Kirmani PP-187; Chaudhry Shakoor Saleem PP-187; Syed Samsam Ali Shah NA-145; MMA district president Cap (retd) Dr Liaqat Ali Kausar NA-143 and PP-189; Khalid Mehmood Bhatti PP-185; Cap (retd) Ghulam Mujtaba Kharl NA-143 and PP-185; and Sarfraz Bhatti PP-185.