The scrutiny of the nomination papers filed by the candidates for the seats of City District Nazims and Towns Nazims in addition to the reserved seats for the District and Town Councils has been completed and 230 nomination papers out of 351 filed for 14 reserved seats for labour and farmers have been rejected.
According to unofficial source, 1,392 candidates having support of various political parties and independents will contest the elections. 10 candidates have filed nomination papers for the top slot of City District. Similarly, 54 are in the run for the Nazims of 8 Towns. Meanwhile, 257 have filed nomination papers for the local council seats in addition to 583 women, 589 male and 156 minority candidates.
According to Election Commission sources, the final list of the contesting candidates would be published on September 22.
In a directive, the Chief Election Commissioner of Pakistan, Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar has said neutrality and impartiality should be maintained by all quarters concerned for conduct of free, fair and transparent elections of zila, tehsil/town Nazim and special seats reserved for women, peasants and workers, and minority communities in zila councils as well as tehsil councils.
He directed the provincial government to ensure law and order situation at the polling stations which are being established for conduct of indirect local government elections on October 6, to avoid any untoward incident.
He emphasised that the neutrality and impartiality of the government functionaries should be visible to achieve the goal of free, fair, impartial and meaningful elections for the slot of Zila Nazim and Tehsil Nazim. He said number of polling stations will be lesser than the previous phases, hence, there will be no difficulty to take strict security measures. The polling station for these elections will be established at each tehsil/town headquarters.
The Chief Election commission also directed that every candidate should be protected and peaceful/tranquil atmosphere be provided to the voters to cast their votes in favour of their candidates.
Meanwhile, the political situation turned interesting in the district Faisalabad, where tough fight expected in some towns after unanimous candidates floated.
For the top slot of City District, Colonel Ghulam Rasool Sahi (Retd), brother of Speaker Punjab Assembly Muhammad Afzal Sahi is PML-Q supported candidate Sahibzada Zafar Muzaffar Sahi will be his covering candidate. Other candidates who have filed nomination papers are Muhammad Ijaz Virk, Advocate (PPP), Chaudhry Sher Ali (PML-N) former MNA and Mayor Faisalabad Municipal Corporation, Rana Zahid Tausif, former MNA and Rana Muhammad Afzal former MPA, Sardar Zafar Hussain, Advocate (MMA), Amjad Rabbani, Mian Tariq Aziz and Abdul Rauf Tariq. For Nazim Lyallpur Town, there are 8 contestants. They include Rana Zahid Mahmood (PML-Q), Dr Umer Farooq Chaudhry (Al-Khidmat Group), Zafar Iqbal Nagra and Zaheer Nagra (PPP), Nadeem Aftab Sindhu (PML-Q), Shahid Rafiq Dhilon, Muhammad Rafiq and Muhammad Umar.
For Nazim Jinnah Town, Raja Adnan Tariq (PML-Q), Kh. Muhammad Islam (PML-N), Muhammad Shahzad Malik and Muhammad Razzaq Malik (PML-N), Muhammad Mushtaq (PPP), Malik Muhammad Din (JI), Engineer Muhammad Rafiq (Awami Tehrik), Chaudhry Saeed Iqbal and Muhammad Hanif.
For Nazim Madina Town, 4 candidates are contesting. They are Chaudhry Ali Akhtar (PML-Q) former secretary Chenab Club and brother of Punjab Minister for Communication Chaudhry Zaheer ud Din, Zulfiqar Inayat (PML-N) and Rana Zulfiqar (PPP).
Meanwhile, the Alliance for Restoration of Democracy (ARD) leaders have fielded joint candidates for the city district and town Nazims, and vowed to launch a vigorous campaign against the ruling party candidates both in rural and urban areas. Talking to newsmen, Secretary-General ARD, Zafar Iqbal Jhagra alleged that the present regime had broken all previous records of rigging in the last two phases of the elections to get their handpicked persons elected for the local councils. However, he added, the masses resisted and elected the members who were against the government.
According to new development, former PML-N MNA Rana Zahid Tauseef has been fielded for the top slot of the district as former MNA Chaudhry Sher Ali, ex-MPA Rana Muhammad Afzal and PPP-backed Advocate Ijaz Ahmad Virk announced withdrawal of their nomination papers in favour of Tauseef. Former union council Nazim Zafar Iqbal has been nominated by the opposition for Lyallpur Town, Shahzad Malik, the brother of PML-N MPA Nawaz Malik for Jinnah Town, Khalid Saeed Gill for Iqbal Town, former MPA Farooq Saeed Khan for Samundri Town, former provincial minister Chaudhry Muhammad Akram for Jaranwala Town and Dr Jawed Iqbal for Chak Jhumra Town.
However, the alliance would take a decision about Madina town candidate in a day after deliberations by the PPP and the PML-N. Jhagra said that joint candidates would be fielded in all towns, tehsils and districts of the country for third phase of the local polls so as to teach the government-supported nominees a lesson. On this occasion, former MNA Chaudhry Sher Ali and district Nazim nominee Rana Zahid Tauseef, alleged that the district co-ordination officers and the district police officers were working like the ruling PML activists.
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