Among the hopefuls is a former young journalist, now serving as special assistant to the prime minister with the status of a state minister.
Party president and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, during a meeting at his northern retreat, directed the Cheema family of Wazirabad to make way for Federal Minister Bilal Farooq Tarar, who has been given the party’s nod for the NA-66 ticket.
The six newly opened seats also include two that, in 2024, the PML-N had handed over to the then newly formed ‘kings party’, the Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP).
However, according to a member of the prime minister’s team, there is no fresh understanding with the IPP this time, meaning the PML-N intends to field its own candidates on those constituencies.
However, he conceded that in principle no such matter has officially surfaced on the decision-making table.
The three seats where nomination papers must be submitted by August 30 are NA-143 Sahiwal, PP-203 Sahiwal and NA-185 Dera Ghazi Khan.
Of these, the most intriguing contest is shaping up in NA-185 DG Khan, where a former journalist and somewhat enigmatic figure, Huzaifa Rehman, is also said to be in the running.
The contenders include Mehmood Qadir Khan, a past contestant for this seat, Jamal Lagari, Abdul Farooq Khosa, a relative of the Sardar Khosa family, Osama Abdul Kareem, son of Senator Hafiz Abdul Kareem and businessman Dr. Shafiq Pitafi, brother of a sitting MPA.
Among them is also Huzaifa Rehman, who currently serves as SAPM with the status of a state minister for the Heritage and Cultural Division.
With little to show in terms of journalistic experience and no notable family lineage, his rise is viewed as something of a riddle, with many attributing it to the old art of excessive flattery.
According to a local, Huzaifa has plastered the district with his banners.
In NA-143 (Sahiwal), previously left open for IPP, Muhammad Tufail Jutt, who ran as an independent in 2024 and secured over 83,000 votes, is considered a strong favourite.
The PTI-backed winner, Rai Hasan Nawaz, had received more than 147,000 votes, while IPP’s Malik Nouman Langrial polled around 32,000.
So far, Tufail has not begun campaigning. For PP-203 (Sahiwal), his younger brother, Muhammad Hanif Jutt, is also regarded as a strong contender, having finished runner-up in 2024 as a PML-N candidate.
The latest constituencies where election schedules have been announced are NA-104, NA-96, and PP-98, all in Faisalabad division.
In Faisalabad, Talal Chaudhry, a key party figure, is reportedly not interested in giving up his Senate seat, making him an unlikely contender for a National Assembly ticket.
With him out of the equation, the NA-96 ticket is expected to go to Nawaz Sher Waseer, who was runner-up with 92,504 votes against PTI-backed Rai Haider’s 134,485.
For NA-104, the contest is shaping up between Daniyal Ahmed, the 2024 runner-up, and SAPM Rana Ehsan Afzal.
Given Afzal’s family’s long association with the party and his presence in the power corridors, he is widely seen as the frontrunner.
Party insiders note that the earlier commitment to PTI-turned-IPP leader Raja Riaz was limited to the 2024 elections, and the PML-N feels no obligation to accommodate his son, Raja Daniyal, this time.
PP-98 (Faisalabad) is expected to go to Azad Ali Tabasum. In 2024, the seat had been allotted to IPP’s Muhammad Ajmal as part of the settlement.
When approached for comment, IPP spokesperson Firdous Ashiq Awan was unavailable.
However, IPP leader Raja Yawar Kamal confirmed that the party had asked its leaders to file nomination papers, adding that any seat settlement with the PML-N would ultimately be decided at the leadership level.
Meanwhile, the Cheema family — Dr Nisar Cheema and Zulfiqar Cheema — met both Nawaz Sharif at his northern retreat and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Islamabad.
According to a party insider, the Cheemas reiterated that their entry into politics was solely because of Nawaz Sharif, pledging loyalty with or without the ticket.
Nawaz assured the family that Wazirabad “was and remains their constituency”, but directed them to fully support Bilal Farooq Tarar’s candidacy.
However, several party leaders privately expressed concern that Bilal’s candidature in NA-66 could mark the effective end of the Cheema family’s influence in the constituency.
Senior PML-N leader Abid Raza Kotla dismissed such worries, declaring that “Wazirabad and the entire Gujranwala division is a PML-N stronghold. Here, votes belong to the party, not the candidate”.
He described Bilal Farooq as “a vibrant and energetic candidate”, while lauding the Cheema family’s loyalty, calling Dr Nisar Cheema “a thorough gentleman”.