MULTAN - Massive political activity has started in National Assembly’s constituency NA-151 as prospective candidates from all groups kicked off their endeavours to win tickets from their respective parties as soon as Election Commission of Pakistan announced dates for by-election in the constituency, The Nation has learnt.

The ECP has given two days-June 25 and 26-for submission of nomination papers while the polls shall take place on July 19.
At least one candidate from PPP and PTI each and eight from PML-N are currently being discussed as probable candidates for the seat that got vacated because of disqualification of Premier Gilani by the Supreme Court.
The names of former prime minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gillani’s daughter Fiza Gillani, PML-N’s Malik Ishaq Bucha and former federal minister Malik Sikandar Hayat Bosan, who recently joined Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI), are being taken as serious contenders for this seat.
Although PTI has already announced not to contest any by-election, the Bosans appear rather defiant as sources close to the Bosan family confided to this scribe that they had clearly told the party that they would not commit the mistake Shah Mahmood did in NA-148. “Remaining out of contest clearly means that you have gifted this seat to the opponents and now you are no more on the political landscape,” sources quoted Bosans as conveying this message to the PTI leadership.
Sources claimed that the situation could take a serious turn in terms of Malik Sikandar Hayat Bosan and his group’s defection from PTI, if the party barred them from contesting the by poll in NA-151. Although a senior female leader from PML-N visited Malik Sikandar Hayat Bosan a month back, the latter flatly refused to join Nawaz League. However, the current situation indicates that Bosan might return to his old party.
As far as the other candidates are concerned, former premier Gilani’s daughter Fizza Gilani’s names is being taken as PPP candidate. Although no formal announcement is made by the party in this regard, a section of media claimed that President Asif Ali Zardari has okayed her name keeping in view the loyalty of her father to and sacrifice for the party.
Similarly, former MPA Malik Ishaq Bucha, former district nazim’s brother Brig (retd) Maqsood Hussain Qureshi, former UC Nazim Malik Qadir Nawaz Sangi, Malik Ashiq Shajra, ticket holder Shahzad Maqbool Bhutta, ticket holder Rana Mahboob Alam, women wing Multan president Sultana Shaheen and provincial vice president of women wing Qurban Fatima are striving to get ticket from PML-N. Sources said that the name of party’s candidate would be announced within next one day.