PML-N finalises 90% AJK election tickets

LAHORE:

PML-N has finalised around 90 per cent of tickets for Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), which will be issued in a day or two, a PTI Kashmir Chapter leader said.

He attended the meeting, which was presided over by PML-N President Nawaz Sharif, as the party steams ahead with its election drive in AJK.

“The PML-N president has approved around 38 tickets for Azad Jammu and Kashmir, which will be issued either on Thursday or Friday,” the party leader told The Express Tribune on condition of anonymity.

He said that, barring one seat—LA-10 Kotli City, where a new candidate, Fateeh Mehmood Kiyani, was given the ticket in place of seven-time MLA Malik Muhammad Nawaz—there were no surprises. He added that the AJK party leadership had been issued tickets as expected and requested.

The ticket for LA-41 (Valley-2), a refugee seat in Lahore, has been withheld pending formal approval from Hamza Shehbaz, under whose jurisdiction the seat falls.

He said the seat is expected to be allotted to Ayesha. He further said that Party President Shah Ghulam Qadir has been awarded tickets from both Upper Neelum (LA-25) and Lower Neelum (LA-26).

He added that, according to his information, tickets for six seats have been kept pending, including LA-45 (Valley-5, Peshawar-Hazara), where an ally could be issued the ticket.

The source said Nawaz was of the view that an amicable solution should be found to the “mess” created by the recently outlawed faction.

He said, however, the party would move full steam ahead with its election campaign, as the protests and sit-ins were limited to only three to four constituencies.

He noted that the law and order situation was for the administration to manage, adding that they believed refugees must not be deprived of their seats. “These refugees have no voice, nor do they have any representation other than these seats.”

When asked about the differing viewpoints of various parties, he said that since 10 seats lie in Punjab, it gives PML-N an additional advantage, as the only other party with a sizable vote bank is in “disarray”. He added that other parties with no foothold in the province would face difficulties. “Take these seats away, and PML-N loses its advantage.

According to the source LA-1 Mir Pur 1 has been left pending, LA-2 Mirpur 2, will be given to Chaurdary Azeem Baskh, L-3 Mirpur 3 to Chaudhry Muhammad Saeed,  LA-4 Mir Pur 4 comprising of area of Khari Sharif to Chaudary Rukhsar Ahmed, LA-5 Barnala to Col (retd) Waqar Ahmed Noor, LA-6 Bhimber 2, Chaudary Muhamad Razaq, LA-7 Bhimber 3, Chaudhry Tariq Farooq, LA-8 Kotli 1 area of Raj Mehal to Malik Zulfiqar Ali, LA-9 Kotli 2 area Nakyal to Sardar Umair Naeem nephew of former PM Sardar Sikandar Hayat Tayat, LA-10 Kotli 3 City Fateeh Muhammad Kiyani, LA-11 Kotli 4 area of Sansa to Raja Muhammad Asif, LA-12 Kotli 5 area of Charhoi to Raja Muhammd Riyasat, LA-13 Kotli 6 area of Khoi Rata to Raja Ayaz  Nisar,  LA-14 Bagh1 area of Dheerkot to Raja Faisal Azad, LA-15 Bagh 2 area of Wasti Bagh to party information secretary Mushtaq Ahmad Minhas, LA-16 Bagh 3 area of Sharqi Bagh to Sardar Mir Akbar Khan, LA-17 Bagh 4 to Engineer Mohsin Aziz, LA-18 Poonch 1 area of Abbass Pur, Pending, LA-19 Poonch 2 to Sardar Amir Altaf, LA-20 Poonch 3 area of Khai Galain to Sardar Abdur Rasheed, LA-21 Poonch 4 area of Rawalakot City to Sardar Tahir Anwar, LA-22 Poonch5 area of Khorar pending, LA-23 Poonch 6 Palndri to Dr Muhammad Najeeb Naqi, LA-24 Pooch 7 area of Balooch to Sardar Farooq Ahmed Tahir, LA-25  and LA-26 Neelum 1and 2 area of Upper and low Neelam to Party President Shah Ghullam Qadir, LA-27 Muzafarabad Kotla, Noreen Arif, LA-28 Muzafarabar 2, area of Najrat pending, LA-29 Muzaffarbad 3 area of Muzafarbad City to Barister Iftakhar Gillani, LA-30 Muzaffarbad 4 area of Khabra to Raja Saqib Majeed, LA-31 Muzaffarabad 5 area of Hadiyain Dupta to Dr Mustafa Bashir Abbassi, LA-32 Muzaffarabad 6 area of Shigar and Raja Muhammad Farooq Ahmad Khan who has served as former PM, LA-33 Muzaffarbad 7 to Ch Muhammad Rasheed.

In constituencies of refugees, Jamu 1 LA-34 area of Lahore and Karachi to Nasir Ahmad Dar. Jamu 2 LA-35 to Ch Muhammad Ismail for people occupied Kashmir living in area of Gujranwala, LA-36 Jamu 3 to Ahsan Raza for people of occupied territory in Sialkot, LA-37 Jamu 4 area of Narowal to Maryam Javeed, LA-38 Jamu 5 area of Gujrat to Ch Muhammad Zeeshan,  Jamu 6 area of Rawalpindi and Attock to Raja Muhammad Saddique, Valley 2 expectedly to Ayesha area of Lahore, Valley 3 area of Jelhum to Multan to Syed Shuakat Shah Valley 4 LA-43 Muhammad Yaseen Loan area of Rawalpindi, LA-44 Valley 5 area of Murree to Hafiz Ahmad Raza Qadri currently a sitting MLA and LA-45 Valley 6 Peshawar Hazara where an ally might be given this seat.