The Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP) of federal minister Aleem Khan has announced its candidates for 35 seats of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Legislative Assembly ahead of the upcoming elections.
IPP President Aleem Khan formally awarded party tickets to the candidates during a ceremony attended by IPP Azad Kashmir President Sardar Tanveer Ilyas, who has also been nominated to contest in three constituencies.
According to the party, Muhammad Maroof has been nominated in LA-02, Tasleem Arif in LA-03, Taimur Hassan in LA-04, Zulfiqar Ali in LA-08 and Tahir Farid in LA-09.
Muhammad Yousuf will contest in LA-10, Muhammad Talib in LA-11, Sabiha Siddique in LA-12 and Nisar Ansar in LA-13.
Former AJK Prime Minister Sardar Tanveer Ilyas has been fielded in three constituencies — LA-15, LA-22 and LA-25.
The party also named Ijaz Ahmed in LA-16, Aamir Nazir in LA-17, Murtaza Ahmed in LA-18, Shahzad Aziz in LA-19, Bilal Shakeel in LA-21, Sardar Raees Inqilabi in LA-24, Sardar Inayatullah in LA-27, Sardar Tabarakullah in LA-29 and Maqbool Gujjar in LA-30.
Among other nominees, Raja Mazhar Qayyum will contest in LA-31, Iftikhar Hussain in LA-35, Adeeb Amjad Butt in LA-36, Abdul Qadeer in LA-39, Muhammad Tahir Khokhar in LA-40, Saleem Butt in LA-41, Saeed Dar in LA-42 and Bilal Butt in LA-43.
The party has also awarded tickets to Raja Faheem Farooq in LA-14, Saeed Awan in LA-05, Ali Shan Soni in LA-06, Hamza Bazmi and Kausar Taqdis Gilani from LA-28. In addition, candidates have been nominated for reserved and refugee constituencies representing Lahore, Multan, Rawalpindi and Balochistan.
Speaking on the occasion, Aleem Khan congratulated all the party nominees and extended his best wishes for the election campaign. He said the remaining candidates for other constituencies would be announced later on Saturday or by Sunday.