ISLAMABAD: At least 65 candidates are contesting for the National Assemblyseats in Punjab alone on Jeep symbol, a symbol which has drawn interestamong political observers after various PML-N defectors asked for thisparticular sign for the election 2018.link#_>
Top PML-N defectors, including former interior minister Chaudhry Nisar AliKhan and provincial minister Zaeem Qadri, are also contesting election onthe Jeep symbol.
According to official final list of candidates in 120 constituencies ofPunjab province, uploaded on the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP)website on Wednesday, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has fielded thehighest number of candidates in the province.
The former ruling party led by Nawaz Sharif has given tickets to 102candidates while Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) of Imran Khan has awardedparty tickets to 100 candidates in these 120 constituencies. The ECP hasnot uploaded the final list for 21 constituencies of the province inLahore, Rajanpur and Rahimyar Khan owing to pending court cases, says theofficial portal.
Surprisingly, the newly-founded religious party Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistanhas also emerged as one of the biggest parties in the province in terms ofcandidates with 97 tickets awarded to its members.
Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has fielded 98 contestants in these areas forthe election 2018 in Punjab province alone.
A few days ago, more than 11 candidates of PML-N had returned their partytickets and sought the Jeep symbol from the ECP instead of their previousTiger symbol.
The famous among the revolting members were Sardar Farood Amjad Khosa of DGKhan, Sardar Mohsin Hasan Khan, Usama Abdul Karim, Sher Ali Gorchani, andSultan Mehmood Hunjar.