NA-24: PML-N refutes possibility of alliance with PPP, ANP

Party will field its own candidates in Tank, DI Khan constituencies.

DERA ISMAIL KHAN:

The supposed alliance between the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Awami National Party (ANP) against the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) in Tank and DI Khan turned out to be short-lived when the PML-N announced it would field its own candidates.

PML-N District President Rehan Malik Advocate held a press conference on Friday in which he confirmed the party would not take part in such an alliance.

Initially, it seemed seat adjustments between the three parties had been agreed upon. On PK-64, PPP candidate Nawabzada Mazhar Jamil Alizai was to contest against Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s brother Maulana Latifur Rehman, while ANP candidate Makhdom Mureed Kazim Shah was to face the JUI-F’s Israrullah Gandapur in PK-68.



Clarifying the PML-N’s ticket holders for these constituencies, Malik said Qaisar Mian Khel would be contesting from PK-64 and Syeda Nasira Batool from PK-68. He said the Khel brothers, Sanaullah and Fataullah, who are contesting from PK-66 and PK-67, respectively, on PML-N tickets, had planned to form an alliance with the PPP and ANP without consulting the party’s leadership. If the two do not rescind their support from the parties, action will be taken against them under the party’s disciplinary rules, he added.

Contrary to earlier reports that PPP’s Senator Waqar Ahmad Khan would contest the NA-24 constituency as part of the alliance, Malik further confirmed he himself would be standing for the NA-24 seat against Maulana Fazlur Rehman.

In reference to the accusation that Khan had allegedly paid former NA-24 candidate Faisal Karim Kundi Rs50 million to withdraw his papers and contest from NA-25 instead, Malik said Khan was buying the support of candidates but would not gain the PML-N’s backing.

PML-N Provincial President Raja Akhtar Ali, on the other hand, said the Khel brothers were part of Musharraf’s regime, and in supporting PPP candidates they were insulting the tickets given to them by the PML-N.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 20^th, 2013.