No alliance: PML-Likeminded to go solo in Sindh

Arbab Rahim tells Nawaz his party will use PML-N’s election symbol in Punjab.

LAHORE:

Arbab Ghulam Rahim, the chief of Pakistan Muslim League-Likeminded, said on Tuesday that his party would not form electoral alliance with any political group in Sindh – the party is, however, ready to join hands with the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz in Punjab.

In a meeting with PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif in Lahore, Arbab Rahim said that he did not trust the Pakistan Peoples Party and Pakistan Muslim League-Functional, and would contest the election using its own symbol (Green Leaf), sources told The Express Tribune.

Arbab Rahim told Nawaz that the PML-Likeminded would not follow the 11-party coalition, led by the PML-N, in Sindh. However, it was ready to use PML-N’s election symbol (Lion) in Punjab. Arbab Rahim has a strong support base in Tharparkar district where his party could easily win two National Assembly and four provincial assembly seats.

Arbab Rahim, a former chief minister of Sindh, told Nawaz that his party would join the PML-N if it wins a majority at the Centre as well as Sindh and forms governments. He, however, gave the go-ahead for seat-to-seat adjustment with the PML-N in Punjab.



According to sources, some PML-Likeminded politicians from Punjab – including Humayoun Akhtar Khan and Mian Asif – would contest the elections from PML-N Platform, the group’s chairman, Hamid Nasir Chattha, is still undecided.

Parliamentary board meeting

The central and provincial parliamentary boards of the PML-N have started the vetting process for issuing tickets to candidates across the country.

Officials said that the party would unveil candidates for all divisions of Punjab and the rest of the country by Wednesday evening or Thursday morning.

Officials urged candidates to submit their applications to the election commission as party tickets are not mandatory for the submission of papers.

The party will award tickets during the scrutiny of nomination forms. Around 3,200 ticket aspirants are being vetted by the party’s boards which will award tickets to around 1,100 candidates.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 27^th, 2013.

Correction: In an earlier version of this story, Tiger was mentioned as Arbab's election symbol. The error has been fixed.