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• PML-N angers own potential candidates by ‘obliging turncoats’
• PML-Q ‘content’ with four seats, two each for NA and PA
• Daniyal Aziz to run independently from NA-75 against PML-N’s Anwaarul Haq
• Talal Chaudhry ‘makes sacrifice’ for PTI deserter, promised Senate ticket
• Farah Khan’s father-in-law also gets PML-N ticket
LAHORE: The Istehkam-i-Pakistan Party (IPP), home for PTI deserters, faced a setback on Thursday as the PML-N allocated them only a limited number of seats for the next month’s general elections.
The Sharifs’ party has announced its candidates for most National and Punjab assembly seats across the province, favouring electables from the south and PTI defectors.
In some constituencies, some potential PML-N candidates protested against the leadership for depriving them of tickets to oblige “turncoats” and others by compromising on its so-called principles.
PML-Q President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, who helped the PML-N-led coalition in the ouster of Imran Khan in 2022, is accommodated with just four seats, two each for the National and Punjab assemblies. The PML-N left NA-64 and PP-31 Gujrat open for Salik and Shafey, sons of Shujaat Hussain.
Interestingly, the PML-Q seems content with this arrangement, perhaps taking solace in the IPP’s treatment at the hands of PML-N.
The PML-N has left seven National and 11 Punjab constituencies open for IPP’s top leaders, including Jahangir Khan Tareen (from Multan), Aleem Khan (Lahore), Amir Kiyani (Islamabad), Ghulam Sarwar (Taxila), Awn Chaudhry (Lahore), Nauman Langrial (Sahiwal).
The IPP did not give its reaction to the PML-N’s decision. IPP Information Secretary Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan did not respond to Dawn’s queries over its “poor” seat adjustment deal.
The PML-N has also refused to accommodate Ms Awan on NA-70 Sialkot and awarded a ticket to party stalwart Armaghan Subhani.
A PML-N insider told Dawn that had the Sharifs not had the pressure of the powers that be, they would not even have given that number of seats to the IPP. Interestingly, the IPP had initially sought over 100 NA and PA seats from the PML-N, which it had termed a “non-serious” demand.
The other major issue the IPP may face in the constituencies it secured tickets from PML-N in seat adjustment is whether the latter’s voters will vote for the former’s candidates in the Feb 8 polls.
Earlier, in the by-polls in Punjab in 2022, the PML-N had claimed that the PTI deserters who had its backing lost to Mr Khan’s PTI because PML-N workers would not campaign for them and its supporters stayed away from casting votes in their favour.
Notable among those who failed to get PML-N’s tickets are Daniyal Aziz from Narowal, Saud Majid from Bahawalpur and Talal Chaudhry from Jaranwala.
PML-N Secretary General Ahsan Iqbal prevailed on Mr Aziz and got two tickets from Narowal for NA-76 and PP-56 seats.
Mr Aziz has announced contesting independently on NA-75, from where the PML-N has awarded a ticket to Chaudhry Anwaarul Haq. Mr Aziz said his wife would also contest independently for a provincial assembly seat in Narowal.
Once a loyalist of the party, Daniyal Aziz had fallen out with the Sharifs over constantly ignoring him during the last few years.
Talal Chaudhry, who had the backing of the party chief organiser Maryam Nawaz, was made to sacrifice for a PTI deserter, Malik Nawab Sher Waseer.
The party sources said that the Sharifs had promised the dejected Mr Talal a Senate ticket.
On NA-77 Gujranwala, former MNA Mehmood Bashir Virk, who has the backing of the Maryam group, got the party ticket while the party’s deputy secretary general Attaullah Tarar, who was keen to contest from his hometown seat, was adjusted at NA-127 in Lahore against PPP chief Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari.
There is word in the party that Mr Tarar got Lahore’s seat for his good relations with the quarters concerned and PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif.
From Faisalabad’s NA-104, the PML-N awarded a ticket to PTI deserter and former “sham” opposition leader in the National Assembly, Raja Riaz, who later joined the Sharifs. PML-N loyalist Rana Ehsan Khan is reportedly upset over the leadership’s decision for this constituency.
The PTI deserters given NA seats in the south include Basit Bokhari and Amir Gopang from Muzaffargarh, Amjad Kalara from Layyah and Abdul Qadir Khosa from D.G. Khan.
Ayesha Rajab Baloch, a former PML-N lawmaker from Faisalabad, was also denied a party ticket. She reportedly announced contesting the elections independently.
Chaudhry Iqbal Gujjar, the father-in-law of Bushra Bibi’s confidant, Farah Khan, also managed to get a provincial assembly ticket from Gujranwala.
The PML-N has refused to oblige PML-Q’s Wajahat Hussain and his son Musa Elahi on National Assembly seats in Gujrat who were reportedly forced to change their loyalty from PTI.
Until late in the night, the PML-N had not awarded tickets from Lahore.
Sources said the PML-N was taking a last-minute decision on two most sought-after constituencies — NA-121 and NA-117.
On NA-121, there is a fight between Sheikh Rohail Asghar and Sardar Ayaz Sadiq.
Sources said the Sharifs told Mr Sadiq that he would be considered for the Senate’s top slot if he happily withdrew from contesting for this seat.
On NA-119, both Maryam Nawaz Sharif and Aleem Khan are keen to contest. However, Mr Khan would have to move to NA-117 as Ms Sharif is reportedly not ready to leave this constituency.
Published in Dawn, January 12th, 2024
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