KASUR: The PML-N leaders in Kasur are in troubled waters due to litigation and intraparty differences over the likely award of party tickets besides internal rifts as the party proceeds with caution to award tickets in Punjab to avoid a PTI-like situation among its workers and ticket aspirants.

According to the local political analysts, the situation hardly distinguishes the PML-N from the PTI for the election. They think if the PML-N fails to remove differences among its local leaders, the 2018 election can turn a fiasco for it. However, there is no third party on the scene to take advantage of the situation so the main contest would still be between the PML-N and PTI if both of them come out unscathed through intraparty feuds and many a strife.

Litigation is really affecting the PML-N as out of four National Assembly constituencies its likely candidates on three of them are facing cases which can disqualify them and push them out of the race. Due to the cases, the PML-N leaders have not started their election campaign while the PTI has nominated its candidates and its election drive is going at full swing.

NA-137 comprises city Kasur and adjacent villages where PML-N’s Sheikh Waseem Akhtar is in the contest. But he is facing a trial over an anti-judiciary tirade. He is among the 80 accused booked for using abusive language against a verdict of the apex court during a rally held in support of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. He is yet to start his campaign as his political fate depends on the court verdict. Waseem is also vying for his son Saad Waseem if he does not get the party ticket for himself due to the trial.

Party errs on side of caution in award of tickets as election campaign is delayed

Seeing the opportunity, Malik Rasheed Ahmed, former MNA of the PML-N whose constituency had been removed in the new delimitation, is an aspirant for the ticket. The two parliamentarians are already at loggerheads over petty party issues since 2013.

In NA-138, former MNA Salman Hanif of the PML-N is facing the opposition of Malik Rasheed Ahmed who has geared up his efforts after his hometown of Khudian was included in the constituency following a writ petition regarding the new delimitation. However, after the removal of his constituency, Rasheed is getting involved in all the new constituencies with hope of getting a party for any one of them.

Dawood Qureshi, son of former PML-N MPA Anees Qureshi, is also an aspirant for NA-138 ticket and he has announced to contest election as an independent candidate if he does not get a party ticket. He is in the race with both Salman Hanif and Malik Rasheed.

In NA-139, former MNA Rana Muhammad Ishaq has been booked in a land grabbing case. If he is disqualified, there are many options within his family to replace him and the PML-N might not face any difficult situation due to party leaders’ differences here.

In NA-140, Rana Muhammad Hayat is facing a trial in the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) over the corruption of Rs92bn. His rival PTI candidate Talib Nakai has been disqualified from a local court over the charges of getting bank loans worth billions waived off. Nakai on Thursday submitted a writ petition against Hayat for wrong entries of assets in his nomination papers.

The situation in the provincial assembly constituencies is no different for the PML-N.

In PP-174, former MPA Naeem Safdar is also facing trial for anti-judiciary speeches in a rally. He is yet to start his election campaign in the constituency as he is waiting for the verdict. Malik Ahmed Saeed is aspirant for the ticket, expecting a verdict against Safdar. Saeed has lost his constituency under the new delimitation. Differences between Saeed and Safdar could benefit PTI candidate for the constituency, Maqsood Sabir, who is from the same clan.

In PP-175, PML-N former MPA Nadeem Yaqoob Sethi is facing the opposition of Malik Ahmed Saeed who is also involved in this constituency besides PP-174.

In PP-176, former MPA and spokesperson for the Punjab government Malik Muhammad Ahmed Khan is the sole representative of PML-N and the party may have a plain sailing here.

In PP-177, former MPA Ahsan Raza of the PML-N is facing Waqas Mokal and Mian Munawar from within in his own party. Mokal recently ditched the PML-Q and joined the PTI before turning the PML-N over the assurance of ticket for PP-177 some days back. Mr Munawar had also resigned from the chairmanship of UC Mokal on the assurance of ticket from MNA Rana Muhammad Hayat.

In PP-178, former MPA Sheikh Allauddin of the PML-N has lost the favour of three main groups of the PML-N, namely Sani group, Alamgir group and Uzair group. The three groups are likely to support Hambal Sana Karimi, son of former tehsil nazim and associated with PML-N. He is also an aspirant for the PML-N ticket.

In PP-179, former MPA Mahmood Anwar of the party is facing the opposition of PML-N councilors and party workers, including Mushtaq Ahmed. Mushtaq is likely to contest the election against Anwar as an independent candidate while at least 10 UC councillors of the PML-N are supporting him. Anwar would face PTI’s Atif Nakai and independent candidate Rana Mumtaz Ali Khan.

In PP-180, Rana Hayat, former MNA of the PML-N, is the only candidate of the party. He has announced that he would quit PP-180 if elected from NA-140 and would decide PP candidate for the by-election.

In PP-181, former speaker Punjab Assembly Rana Muhammad Iqbal is facing opposition from his close relatives, including Rana Aslam, Rana Jahandad and Rana Naeem Riaz. His relative, Rana Hashmat Khan, had announced to contest election as an independent candidate. These relatives wanted Iqbal to give somebody from the family a chance to contest election after his long tenure in politics and the assembly.

In PP-182, former PML-N MPA Anees Qureshi is being opposed by Ilyas Gujjar (two times former MPA as an independent candidate, recently joined the PML-N) and Waqar Hakim, son of former PML-N MPA Hakim Ali.

Published in Dawn, June 23rd, 2018