BAHAWALPUR: Former PML-N MPA Samiullah Chaudhry and former PPP minister Farooq Azam Malik have been awarded Pakistan Tahreek-i-Insaf (PTI) tickets for PP-246 and NA-170.

Mr Chaudhry told reporters on Wednesday he was thankful to the PTI leadership for the ticket and pledged to support other PTI candidates too.

Earlier, the PTI ticket was awarded to Syed Tahseen Nawaz Gardezi. On Wednesday, he confirmed to Dawn that his ticket was withdrawn by the PTI leadership. Mr Chaudhry will face PML-N’s Dr Rana Muhammad Tariq, who was recommended for the ticket by former minister Baleeghur Rehman. The PPP may award its ticket PPP city president Tatheerul Hassan.

Mr Malik will face PML-N’s Baleeghur Rehman.

The PPP has yet to announce its candidate for the seat. Former MPA Syed Irfan Gardezi is the sole aspirant for PPP’s ticket.

Just like the PPP, the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) has yet to announce its candidates. Former Jamaat-i-Islami MPA Dr Syed Waseem Akhtar said the MMA would announce its candidate for NA-170 in a day or two.

In the neighboring district of Lodhran, the PML-N is facing fissures in the party after former MNA Iqbal Shah has refused to accept party decision to award its ticket for NA-161 to former MNA Siddique Baloch. Mr Shah rose to the countrywide fame overnight after he defeated PTI’s Ali Tareen in a bye-election in February last.

There are reports that Mr Shah and his son former MPA Syed Aamir Shah have decided to contest elections for NA-161(Lodhran) and PP-224 (Lodhran) as independent candidates.

In the previous days, Mr Shah had decided to join the PTI but after a telephone call from PML-N president Shehbaz Sharif, former MNA Abdul Rehman Kanjoo rushed to Mr Shah and dissuaded him from leaving the PML-N. He was then assured PML-N tickets for both NA-161 and PP-224.

Published in Dawn, June 28th, 2018