PPP relying on notable families in southern Punjab

MULTAN/LAHORE: The PPP on Thursday released the first list of its candidates from southern Punjab, as the party issued tickets for 29 National Assembly and 58 Punjab Assembly seats.

Talking to journalists, PPP’s south Punjab chapter senior vice-president Khawaja Rizwan Allam said more candidates were in the loop and requesting the party for tickets. He said the PPP would contest election against PML-N and PTI in all the constituencies.

The candidates finalised so far for the National Assembly are:

Multan Division: NA-152 Pir Haider Zaman Qureshi, NA-154 Syed Abdul Qadir Gillani, NA-157 Syed Ali Musa Gillani, NA-158 Syed Yousaf Raza Gillani, NA-160 Liaqat Ali Khan, NA-163 Natasha Daultana, NA-164 Ghulam Sarwar Khan Kitchi and NA-165 Mehmood Hayat Tochi Khan.

Bahawalpur Division: NA-166 Nazia Ayub, NA-167 Syed Fazal Mehmood Shah, NA-168 Abdul Hamid Jatla, NA-170 Irfan Ahmed Gardezi, NA-171 Syed Suleman Gardezi, NA-173 Makhdoom Syed Ali Hassan Gillani, NA-174 Makhdoom Syed Ali Hassan, NA-175 Muhammad Aqil Qutab Koreja, NA-176 Syed Tanveer Hussein, NA-177 Makhdoom Shahabuddin, NA-178 Makhdoom Syed Ghulam Mustafa Mehmood, NA-179 Mian Muhammad Amir Shahbaz and NA-180 Syed Murtaza Mehmood.

Dera Ghazi Khan Division: NA-181 Ehsanul Haq Nolatia, NA-182 Mehr Irshad Sial NA-184, Nawab Iftikhar Ahmed Khan, NA-185 Haji Muhammad Ramazan Jatt Bhallar, NA-186 Daud Khan Jatoi, NA-187 Chaudhry Muhammad Altaf Hussein, NA-189 Khawaja Attaullah Taunsvi, NA-191 Pervez Akhtar, NA-193 Shazia Abid and NA-194 Khawaja Kalim Uddin Koreja.

The division-wise details of the Punjab Assembly candidates are:

Multan Division: PP-206 Syed Wasim Sarjees Haider, PP-207 Imran Haider Sanpal, PP-211 Syed Ali Haider Gillani PP-212, Syed Nazim Shah, PP-213 Shahid Raza Siddique, PP-214 Osman Bathi, PP-216 Shakil Laber, PP-217 Kalsoom Naz, PP-218 Malik Muhammad Abbas Raan, PP-219 Rai Mansab Ali, PP-220 Mian Kamran Abdullah, PP-221 Khurram Farid Khakwani, PP-224 Rana Ibrahim, PP-226 Imdad Ullah Abbasi, PP-233 Muhammad Salim, PP-235 Ali Raza Khan and PP-236 Abdullah Hayat Khan.

Bahawalpur Division: PP-239 Suhail Ahmed Khan, PP-245 Muhammad Aqil Javed Abbasi, PP-246 Shakir Mirza, PP-251 Syed Naeem Bukhari, PP-252 Shah Rukh Malik, PP-253 Syed Muhammad Raza Dewan, PP-254 Syed Amir Ali Shah, PP-255 Sardar Ghazanfar Ali Khan Langah, PP-256 Qazi Ahmed Saeed, PP-257 Chaudhry Jahanzeb, PP-258 Mian Muhammad Aslam, PP-259 Makhdoom Irtaza Hashmi, PP-260 Muhammad Suhail Wahin, PP-261 Makhdoom Irtaza Hashmi, PP-262 Makhdoom Safdar Kanju, PP-263 Osman Mehmood, PP264 Makhdoom Syed Osman Mehmood, PP-265 Rai Nabil Ahmed Khan, PP-266 Mumtaz Ahmed Chung and PP-267 Rana Tariq Mehmood Khan.

Dera Ghazi Khan Division: PP-269 Mehr Irshad Ahmed Sial, PP-270 Azam Abbas Shah, PP-271 Akhtar Khan Gopang, PP-273 Rasool Bakhsh Jatoi, PP-274, Syed Qaim Ali Shamsi, PP-276 Syed Jamil Shah Bokhari, PP-279 Muhammad Amjad Abbas, PP-280 Chaudhry Inamul Haq, PP-281 Malik Riaz Hussein Samtia, PP-282 Muhammad Rashid Nasir, PP-283 Pir Syed Fazal Hussein Gillani, PP-284 Mehr Yasir Wasim, PP-287 Muhammad Arif, PP-289 Muhammad Ali Murad Khan, PP-290 Muhammad Ramazan Qadir, PP-291 Ghulam Sarwar Dilshad, PP-292 Dr Ghulam Murtaza Khan, PP-293 Sabtain Sarwar, PP-294 Nasrullah Khan Tareen, PP-295 Kh Kalim Uddin Koreja and PP-297 Rahim Bux Mazari.

If we look at the list, it is easily noticeable that the scions of noted political families prominent among the PPP candidates.

However, Natasha Daultana, despite issuance of tickets, has so far not received the same from the party, sources told The News.

The Makhdooms of southern Punjab stand prominent as the PPP ticket holders and most of them are also contesting on more than one national or provincial assembly seats, including Gilani and his sons.

Former MNA Liaquat Ali Khan has also been fielded as candidate from NA-160 which, according to the PPP leadership, has strengthened its position in the district. Similarly, former Nazim Hussain Shah is contesting from PP-212.

From Khanewal, the PPP has fielded Qureshi, who has held several offices in the party organisations since 2008.

He lost the 2008 polls after a very tough contest against PML-Q’s Aslam Bodla. Bodla is in PML-N now whereas PTI has fielded son of former senator late Shujaat Husnain Qureshi from this seat.

In Bahawalpur, the PPP is banking upon two noted families –Gardezis and Gilanis.

Two brothers Salman Gardezi and Irfan Gardezi are in contest from NA-170 and NA-171 against the group of Riaz Pirzada.

Former MNA Ali Gilani, who joined the PPP after quitting PML-N a few days ago, is also contesting from two seats NA-173 and NA-174.

From Vehari, former MNA Tochi Khan is once again contesting on the PPP the ticket.

In Rahim Yar Khan, Makhdooms once again are seen prominent as two sons of former governor Makhdoom Ahmed Mehmood are contesting from the National Assembly seats – Mustafa Mehmood and Murtaza Mehmood from NA-178 and NA-180 respectively.

Usman Mehmood, another member of the family, is contesting from a provincial seat.

Former federal minister Makhdoom Shahabuddin – who won in 1990, 1993 and 2008 polls – is contesting from NA-177.

Former MPA Makhdoom Irtaza Shah is contesting from two provincial seats. He is a son of former provincial minister late Makhdoom Altaf.

The PPP has also fielded a senior office bearer of Pakistan Kissan Ittehad

Mian Amir Shahbaz from NA-179.

In district Muzaffargarh, Nawab Iftikhar Ahmed Khan, son of noted politician

late Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan is contesting from NA-184.

Against Jamshed Dasti, the PPP has fielded its former MPA Mehr Irshad Sial. Two-time MPA Ehsan-ul-Haq Nolatia is contesting from NA-181, Muzaffargarh-1 this time.

In Dera Ghazi Khan, which under Legharis remained a stronghold of PPP in past, the party has now fielded Khawaja Ataullah Taunsvi who is contesting from NA-189. Other members of this group, including Khawaja Shiraz and Khawaja Nizam, have also won polls in the past as MNA or MPA.