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PTI’s Abrar ul Haq to be fielded from Lahore’s NA-117 constituency

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  • Haq says he’s likely to contest from NA-117.
  • PTI has never won from this constituency.
  • He has begun campaigning for polls alongside provincial ticket-holders.

LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf’s (PTI) leader and renowned singer Abrar ul Haq will be fielded by the party in Lahore’s Shahdara area, while his brother Major (retd) Israr ul Haq will be put up against Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leader Ahsan Iqbal in Narowal.

The singer-cum-politician has already begun his election campaign and is addressing rallies along with two ticket-holders for the provincial assembly under NA-117, Lahore 1.

This seat, ever since PTIcontested elections here in 1997, has never been won by the party’s fielded candidates. The constituency has always been claimed by PML-N or its allies, except for the years 1970 and 1977 when Pakistan Peoples Party’s SM Masood and Sher Muhammad Bhatti won.

The constituency covers areas including the entire Shahdara and the population living close to the Ravi bed and the entire Badami Bagh, Siddiqia Colony, etc.

The party, led by Chairman Imran Khan, has decided to field Haq from this seat and with the consent of the party’s high command, he has also kick-started his campaign here. 

Even if the elections for the NA and provinces are held after three to four months, a good fight is expected this time between the PML-N and PTI.

When contacted, Haq told The News that he was likely to contest from NA-117, Lahore; whereas his brother might get fielded from Narowal. In 2013 and 2018, Haq had contested two NA polls from Narowal but both times, PML-N’s Ahsan Iqbal bagged victory.

Electoral history of NA-117

In 1985, in the non-party basis elections, Pir Muhammad Ashraf won from here while defeating Khawaja Tariq Rahim. In 1988, Pakistan Awami Ittehad’s (PAI) General (retd) MH Ansari won this seat against PPP’s Sheikh Rafique. Islami Jamhuri Ittehad (IJI) or its main component Muslim League had not fielded any candidate which benefitted General Ansari. In 1990’s general elections, it was IJI’s Humayun Akhtar Khan who won from here with a significant lead against PPP’s Sheikh Rafique.

In the 1993 elections, PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif contested from this constituency and won comfortably against PPP’s Haji Aziz ur Rehman Chan. In the 1993 by-polls, it was Nawaz’s brother Abbas Sharif who won after a close fight with a PPP candidate.

In 1997, PML-N fielded Mian Azhar on this seat which he won with a big margin against Pakistan Muslim League-Junejo’s (PML-J) Mian Ahmed Mehmood. Between 1988 to 1997, this constituency was NA-92.

In the 2002 elections, Hafiz Salman Butt, a candidate of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) backed by PML-N won defeating the then Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid’s (PML-Q) head Mian Azhar.

Butt contested the polls as an independent candidate as Muttahida Majlis–e–Amal (MMA) had also fielded its candidate Hafiz Abdul Wadood Shahid.

The constituency by then had become NA-118.

In the 2008 elections, former PML-N MPA Malik Riaz was fielded from this area and won by a big margin. In the 2013 and 2018 polls, PML-N’s Riaz once again claimed victory, but PTI candidates were in the second spot.

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The PPP and PML-N will confer on power-sharing arrangements in Punjab today.

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The coordination committees of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) are scheduled to convene today at the Governor’s House in Lahore to deliberate on power-sharing arrangements in Punjab.

The PPP delegation would comprise Punjab Governor Sardar Saleem Haider, Raja Pervez Ashraf, Makhdoom Syed Ahmed Mahmood, Nadeem Afzal Chan, Hassan Murtaza, and Ali Haider Gilani.

Ishaq Dar, Azam Nazir Tarar, Rana Sanaullah, Malik Muhammad Ahmed Khan, and Maryam Aurangzeb will represent the PML-N.

The conference will discuss local issues in Punjab and offer a forum for the PPP to express its concerns over its collaboration with PML-N in the province.

Both parties seek to fortify their partnership and optimize governance techniques in Punjab.

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Sheikh Rasheed says PTI and government negotiations won’t provide any results.

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Sheikh Rasheed voiced his worries about the nation’s ongoing political dilemma while speaking outside the Anti-Terrorism Court.

According to Sheikh Rasheed, a committee was established to negotiate, but the process has not produced any tangible results. In order to emphasize the seriousness of the situation, he said, “Political conditions are extremely bad.”

He made the joke, “Even after war, if negotiations fail, then it will all come down to judo karate,” in reference to the next steps.

“Everyone there prays for Pakistan’s betterment,” Sheikh Rasheed, who had returned from Saudi Arabia, said. He emphasized the necessity for the nation’s circumstances to improve and stabilize.

Assad Qaiser, a former speaker and PTI leader, had earlier called on Speaker Ayaz Sadiq of the National Assembly to discuss the official start of talks with the government.

The two leaders shared their opinions on bringing parties together on matters of national importance and reducing political tensions and conflict.

“I will persuade my people, you persuade the hardliners in your party,” Ayaz Sadiq said to Assad Qaiser.

The party’s founder is in jail, and the PTI leadership has asked to meet with him. “We will continue to confer with him,” Assad Qaiser declared.

Earlier, PTI leader Shaukat Yousafzai stated that if the discussions don’t begin, a campaign of civil disobedience will begin on December 14.

Speaking to the media Regarding the meetings, Yousafzai claimed that the government ministers were making insincere remarks.

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Bushra Bibi maintains bail as the IHC concludes the FIA’s petition.

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The Islamabad High Court (IHC) conducted a hearing about the Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) plea for the revocation of Bushra Bibi’s bail.

The court, led by Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb, rejected the FIA’s petition during the hearing.

Judicial Proceedings

Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb sought information regarding Bushra Bibi’s location, to which her attorney, Barrister Salman Safdar, affirmed her attendance in court.

The judge urged the counsel to regard the matters with gravity, underscoring the necessity of adherence to trial protocols.

The court sought details about instances where Bushra Bibi had been exempted from attending trial hearings and clarified that if the High Court grants bail and the accused fails to appear, the trial court holds the authority to cancel the bail.

Justice Aurangzeb assured that such actions would not amount to contempt of the High Court’s order.

Based on these considerations, the court closed the proceedings and dismissed the FIA’s plea.

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