Multan Cantt Board polls on 12th: Most candidates contest as independents

MULTAN: The political scenario in Local Government Cantonment Board polls in Multan shows less reliability of candidates on political parties as most of them preferred to contest polls as independent candidates.

Statistics available with the Election Commission of Pakistan say that 38 candidates have filed nomination papers for 10 general councillor slots in Multan Cantonment Board. Only five candidates have applied for PTI tickets and four for PMLN tickets while no candidate applied for PPP tickets.

Four candidates are contesting for Ward No-1 slot. They are Ghulam Farid (PTI) and three independent candidates - Javed Anjum, Muhammad Zeeshan and Rana Muhammad Ashraf.

Two candidates - Ghulam Jillani Sheikh (PTI) and Khalil Ahmed (independent) are contesting for Ward No-2 seat Three candidates are contesting for Ward No-3 slot. They are Akhtar Rasool Fareedi (PMLN), Qalb-e-Abid Khan (PTI) and Muhammad Khalid Asad (independent).

Eight candidates are contesting for Ward No-4 slot. They are Muhammad Fahim Qureshi (PMLN), Saeed Ahmed (PTI) and six independent candidates - Muhammad Danish, Rana Muhammad Irshad, Shafqat Ali Khan, Sheikh Abdul Waheed, Syed Tahir Razzaq Rizvi and Malik Waqar Awan. Seven candidates are contesting for Ward No-5 seat. They are Muhammad Yaqoob Khokhar (PTI) and six independent candidates - Humanyun Akhtar, Hussain Ali Shah, Malik Bilal, Muhammad Asif Niaz Chaudhry, Muhammad Saad Irfan and Muhammad Tariq Niaz Chaudhry. Three independent candidates - Muhammad Arif Raza, Musawar Shah and Sana Akbar – are contesting for Ward No-6 slot. Four candidates are in the run for Ward No-7 seat. They are Muhammad Yasin (PMLN) and three independent candidates - Muhammad Irfan, Nasir Ali and Shamshad Ali.

Three candidates are contesting for Ward No-8 seat. They are Amjad Majid Sheikh (PMLN) and two independent candidates - Anwar Ahmed Khan and Muhammad Yaqoob Nasir.

Two independent candidates are in the run for Ward No-9 seat. They are Muhammad Sadiq Zaeem and Tahira Nasim. Two independent candidates are contesting for Ward No-10 seat. They are Khurshid Ahmed Khan and Sarfraz Ramzan.

According to the ECP statistics, the last Cantonment LG polls were held in 2015 after a gap of more than 15 years. The PPP did not field a single candidate in 2015 while the PTI had won four slots and the PMLN three slots and the remaining three slots were bagged by the independent candidates.

The cantonment wards fall under two constituencies - NA-154 and NA-155. PTI candidate Malik Amir Dogar had won the 2018 general elections from NA-155 by securing 135,872 votes. The PPP had not fielded a candidate in the constituency in the general elections. PTI candidate Ahmed Hassan Dehr had won the general elections from NA-154 by securing 74,283 votes. PPP candidate Syed Abdul Qadir Gilani had lost the elections by securing 64,262 votes while PMLN candidate Suleman Qureshi had obtained only 20,983 votes. A festive atmosphere is being witnessed across cantonment areas where the LG elections are going to be held on September 12. Banners inscribed with election symbols and pictures of candidates are seen hanging on poles and buildings at Sadar Bazaar, Lal Kirti, Kanak Mandi, SP Chowk, Imperial Chowk and other places. The candidates are engaged in door-to-door campaign as the number of voters is much smaller than that of the general elections. The candidates have also set up their election offices in different cantonment wards.