Fortress Faislabad: PML-N groups promise amicable campaign

Sher Ali, Sanaullah groups tell Capt (r) Safdar that they will avoid confrontation

FAISALABAD: Leaders of the two Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz factions in Faisalabad on Wednesday assured PML-N youth wing head Captain (r) Safdar that they would avoid confrontation during the ongoing campaign for local government elections in the city.

Candidates affiliated with the two groups, led by former mayor Chaudhry Sher Ali and Law Minister Rana Sanaullah, respectively, will contest the elections. Candidates associated with Sher Ali’s Mayor Group are contesting with bucket as their election symbol.

The assurances were given to Safdar during his day trip to the city arranged on a directive of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to negotiate a settlement between Sher Ali and Sanaullah. Safdar held separate meetings with Sher Ali and MPA Nawaz Malik, who met him on behalf of Sanaullah.

Speaking to The Express Tribune before leaving for Islamabad, Safdar said both leaders had assured him that they would avoid confrontation during local government election campaign. He said after the election on October 31, the two groups would announce reconciliation and start working together for the party.

Separately, speaking to The Express Tribune, Sher Ali and Malik confirmed that they had assured Safdar that they would not malign anyone associated with the party.

Sher Ali said he had requested Safdar to ask Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif to distance himself from the campaign of PML-N candidates associated with Sanaullah. Former senator Farooq Ahmad Khan, Abid Sher Ali and MPAs Tahir Jameel and Khawja Islam were also present.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 22^nd, 2015.