Ticket allocations: PML-N snubs loyalists

Ruling party's 'fluid principles' resurface; Raja Riaz's son, Talal's brother among by-poll picks

LAHORE:

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has once again drawn criticism for sidelining party loyalists while awarding tickets for the upcoming by-elections in Punjab, choosing instead to accommodate defectors from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

The party has awarded a ticket to Raja Daniyal Riaz, son of former opposition leader in the National Assembly Raja Riaz, a move seen by many as another instance of the party rewarding turncoats who bolstered the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) government during its previous tenure.

The move reflects complicity within the ruling party amid claims that the political field has been shaped in its favour by the establishment.

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had earlier, on October 20, announced by-elections on the remaining six constituencies of Punjab that were delayed owing to floods. According to the notification, elections for NA-96 Faisalabad-II, NA-104 Faisalabad-X, NA-143 Sahiwal-III, PP-98 Faisalabad-I, and PP-203 Sahiwal-VI will be held on November 23.

According to the election schedule, the last date for filing appeals against the decisions of the returning officers is October 24, while the Appellate Tribunal will decide the appeals by October 31.

The revised list of candidates will be published on November 1, followed by the withdrawal of candidature and the final list on November 3. The allocation of election symbols is scheduled for November 4, ahead of polling day next month.

In view of the election schedule, the PML-N also announced the list of ticket holders.

Meanwhile, the PML-N has also finalised its candidates for these constituencies, which had some surprises in store for party loyalists from Faisalabad.

According to the party, Raja Daniyal Riaz has been awarded the ticket for NA-104 Faisalabad-X. He is the son of former opposition leader Raja Riaz, who, after defecting from the PTI, effectively acted as part of the government's B team while retaining his position as opposition leader, allowing the government full control over key appointments.

The defection was rewarded by the party in 2024, when a ticket was given to Raja Riaz, who fielded his son Daniyal. However, Daniyal lost to Sahibzada Hamid Raza of the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) by a margin of 36,000 votes.

Many in the party presumed that Raja might not be further accommodated, and instead, Rana Ehsan Afzal, who is part of the PM's team, was expected to be issued the ticket. However, that did not turn out to be the case.

However, the same principle of accommodation was not applied in NA-96, where the brother of State Minister for Interior Talal Chaudhary, Bilal Badr Chaudhary, was issued the ticket, while the runner-up Nawab Sher Waseer was sidelined.

Nawab Sher had defected at a critical juncture from PTI, allowing PDM to push through with the no-confidence motion against Imran Khan.

Additionally, he too lost with almost forty thousand odd votes, almost the same as Daniyal.

The remaining tickets brought no surprises, though. Muhammad Tufail Jutt was issued the ticket from NA-143 Sahiwal-III, Azad Ali Tabassum was issued the ticket from PP-98 Faisalabad-I and Muhammad Hanif Jutt from PP-203 Sahiwal-VI.