Panic and confusion have gripped the leaders and workers of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) over the unusual delay in the award of party tickets to the local leadership ahead of the general elections scheduled to be held on February 8, 2024.
Dozens of candidates from all constituencies, except one national and one provincial constituency, are waiting for official ticket announcements whereas several candidates have started campaigning in their respective constituencies even before the ticket announcement. The campaigns for potential MNAs and MPAs have also started on social media platforms.
According to sources, prominent political figures of the PML-N Rawalpindi, including former senator Chaudhry Tanveer Khan, former MNA Hanif Abbasi and former candidate for National Assembly Sajjad Khan, are in constant contact with the central party leadership for the award of tickets in their respective constituencies.
The sources said that in the meeting of the party’s central parliamentary board on December 4, the interviews of the candidates applying for the party ticket from Rawalpindi and various other proposals were considered.
Read PML-N kicks off party ticket allocations
In the meeting, the tickets of former MNA Malik Abrar Ahmed for the national assembly and his younger brother Malik Iftikhar Ahmed have been confirmed for the provincial assembly in the NA-55 constituency.
Meanwhile, in the metropolitan constituency of NA-57, former candidate for National Assembly Sajjad Khan and former candidate Barrister Daniyal Chaudhry are in competition.
The PML-N’s parliamentary board also heard various objections along with the interview of Sajjad Khan and Barrister Daniyal Chaudhry. Despite no official announcement from the party leadership, Sajjad Khan has started campaigning in the area and on various social media forums to send a message to the leadership that he is a strong candidate in the constituency.
Former MNA and senior PML-N leader Hanif Abbasi has also applied for party tickets from both NA constituencies of NA-56 and 57.
The sources due to political differences between Khan and Abbasi, the two leaders are trying and have also demanded the party leadership to issue tickets to their trusted persons on the national and provincial assembly seats.
Read PML-N poll drive gains momentum
On the other hand, the party leadership also has serious concerns over the ongoing conflict between the two leaders. The sources said like other provincial seats, there is a fierce competition between former MPA Ziaullah Shah and PML-N London leader Nasir Butt on the seat of PP-18.
Shah is the candidate supported by Abbasi, while Nasir Butt claims that he brought relief to party supremo Nawaz Sharif in difficult times by recording a video of former Accountability Court judge Arshad Malik.
Abbasi is urging the leadership to release the ticket for the PP-18 constituency to Shah, but the consistent delay on the part of the leadership in issuing the party ticket is causing concerns among the candidates.
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Shah and Butt have started the election campaign in their way and banners are being hung at various locations in an attempt to woo the electorate in their favour.
According to sources, all the candidates are seeking the leadership’s nod and as soon as the official candidates are announced, the full-fledged election campaign will start in the garrison city.
Given the delay in ticket announcements, many candidates from Rawalpindi are present in Lahore so that they may enter their respective constituencies after securing the party ticket.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 10th, 2023.
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