The PML-N has fielded Bilal Farooq Tarar, a brother of Federal Minister for Information Atta Tarar, as its candidate in Wazirabad's NA-66 constituencysidelining the old guard.
Atta Tarar on Saturday made this announcement on social media by attaching a copy of a letter to this effect, signed by PML-N President Nawaz Sharif. The minister thanked his party leadership and vowed to live up to their expectations. He also thanked the party's parliamentary board.
A senior party leader claimed that Bilal Farooq Tarar was not the parliamentary board's pick. However, this claim could not be independently verified.
A day earlier, The Express Tribune had reported that the PML-N would sideline the Cheemas, the party's old guard with deep roots in the area, and prefer the federal minister's brother.
The move is anchored in the belief that the upcoming by-election in NA-66 would be a walk in the park, given the fact that the PTI is boycotting the elections.
Bilal Farooq Tarar had earlier remained a member of the Punjab Assembly back in 2018, when only four to five union councils (UCs) of NA-66 were under him. NA-66 has a total of around 67 UCs, and Bilal has no support in most of them.
Dr Nisar Ahmed Cheema had already announced that he would accept the party's decision. He said his family had won the seat four times in a row. "However, if the party feels that anyone else can be a better candidate, then we will submit to the party's will," he said.
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ