Election Commission of Pakistan releases list of nominees for Feb 8 polls

New Delhi: Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has finally released the list much-awaited list of contesting candidates, media report said.

As per the Pakistan ECP, Jan 12 was the last date for withdrawal of candidature and publication of the revised list of candidates. However, it was delayed due to litigation.

“On Feb 8, PML-N supreme leader Nawaz Sharif and PTI’s former provincial health minister Yasmin Rashid will face off in NA-130, Lahore, in a heated electoral battle. Sharif is also contesting from NA-15 (Mansehra) where the opponents include Gustasif Khan of the PTI and JUI-F’s Mufti Kifayatullah,” Dawn newspaper reported.

Reports said that PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif will run from NA-123 (Lahore) and NA-132 (Kasur). In Lahore, he will face Afzaal Azeem of the PTI and Liaqat Baloch of the Jamaat-i-Islami (JI).

“Maryam Nawaz will contest the election from NA-119 (Lahore), where she will be facing Mian Abaad Farooque of the PTI and Iftikhar Shahid of the PPP,” media reports said.

Similarly, Hamza Shehbaz is vying for NA-118 (Lahore), where he will be up against vocal PTI leader and former parliamentary secretary Aliya Hamza, Mohammad Afzal Khan of the JUI-F, and Shahid Abbas of the PPP.

“Maryam and Hamza are also contesting on provincial assembly seats from Lahore,” media reports said.

Ex-president Asif Ali Zardari will contest elections from NA-207 (Shaheed Benazirabad). He will face Sardar Sher Mohammad Rind Baloch of the PTI.

Reports said that the PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari is contesting the elections from three NA constituencies: two from his home province of Sindh and one from NA-127 Lahore, where he will be facing PML-N’s Ataullah Tarar and Chaudhry Shabbir Gujjar of the PTI.

Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman is vying for two NA seats — NA-44 Dera Ismail Khan in KP and NA-265 Pishin-cum-Ziarat in Balochistan. In D.I. Khan, he will be facing PTI’s Ali Amin Gandapur and PPP’s Faisal Karim Kundi. In Pishin, his rivals include Syed Zahoor Agha of the PTI.

PTI leader Gohar Ali Khan is contesting from NA-10 (Buner) against former PTI MNA Sher Akbar Khan, who is vying for the seat from PTI-P platform.