Five provincial constituencies of DG Khan

DERA GHAZI KHAN: The contestants and voters are perturbed over the inordinate delay in nomination of candidates by the Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) in the provincial constituencies of Dera Ghazi Khan.

With hardly only a month left for the polling day, the intending candidates are unable to associate themselves with any particular political party.

Majority of contestants could not get their posters and pamphlets printed as of yet. The Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf has yet to decide and announce the contestants for five provincial constituencies out of the total eight seats, including PP-286, PP-289, PP-290, PP-291 and PP-292.

Although for PP-286, Khawaja Sheraz Mehmood has been empowered to decide his provincial wing who himself is contesting from NA-189 but he is not willing to promote former MPA Khawaja M Dawood, who has approached the top leadership of Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf and has also appeared for interviews.

Another contestant Maqsood Alam Qaisrani, contesting for the first time, is also struggling to get the ticket but the fate of both the candidates is hanging in balance.

This led to the confusion of Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf voters to whom they will support.

PP-289 is another constituency where four big guns are making their efforts to get the ticket. They include former Punjab chief minister Sardar Dost M Khosa, Sardar Ahmed Ali Dareshak, M Hanif Pitafi and Malik M Iqbal Saqib. Sources close to Khosa group has claimed that they have joined the Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf with assurance of getting the ticket by the top leadership.

Sardar Ahmed Ali Dareshak has launched his campaign in Dera Ghazi Khan city, which comprises maximum part of the PP-289.

Khosa group is also keeping an eye over the PP-290 for the grandson of Sardar Zulfiqar Ali Khan Khosa against Sardar Asif Ali Dareshak.

The Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf could not finalise its candidates for PP-291 and PP-292 also and the ongoing situation may give an edge to the rival contestants of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz.