PTI announces candidates for Punjab by-polls

• Punjab by-elections on 20 seats to take place on July 17.
• Farrukh Habib reveals names of 18 candidates.
• PTI leader says two names to be announced later.

The PTI Monday announced its candidates for the Punjab by-elections, slated for July 17, as the party seeks to retain the seats it lost last month.

Twenty-five lawmakers — 20 elected on general and five on reserved seats — were de-notified by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on May 23 for going against party lines and voting for Hamza Shahbaz in the chief minister's election.

ECP earlier this month ruled that the allocation of reserved seats — three women and two minorities — would be notified after the conclusion of the by-election for 20 vacant Punjab Assembly seats.

Read more: ECP delays issuing notification for reserved seats in Punjab Assembly

In a bid to secure the reserved seats, the PTI had asked the ECP to issue the notification based on the current numbers in the Punjab Assembly, but the election body ruled that it would notify the allocation of reserved seats once the by-election takes place on July 17 — and the new party position is formed.

The by-elections will take place on PP-7, PP-83, PP-90, PP-97, PP-125, PP-127, PP-140, PP-158, PP-167, PP-168, PP-170, PP-202, PP-217, PP-224, PP-228, PP-237, PP-272, PP-273, PP-282 Layyah, and PP-288.

Read more: ECP denotifies 25 PTI MPAs de-seated over defection

Taking to Twitter Monday, PTI Central Information Secretary Farrukh Habib said the party's parliamentary board approved the candidates' list for the by-polls and has allocated tickets to the respective people.

The former state minister added that the party had allocated 18 seats, and the candidates for the remaining constituencies — PPP 237 and PP 170 — would be announced later.

The list:

• Shabbir Awan PP 07,
• Hasan Aslam PP 83,
• Irfan Niazi PP 90,
• Ali Afzal Sahi PP 97,
• Mian Muhammad Azam PP 125,
• Muhammad Nawaz Bherwana PP 127,
• Khurram Virk PP 140,
• Mian Akram Usman PP 158,
• Atif Chaudhry PP 167,
• Nawaz Awan PP 168,
• Maj. Sarwar PP 202,
• Zain Qureshi PP 217,
• Amir Iqbal Shah PP 224,
• Ezat Javaid Khan PP 228,
• Muazzam Jataoi PP 272,
• Yasir Jatoi PP 273,
• Qaiser Abbas PP 282,
• Saif ud Din Khosa PP 288.