BAHAWALPUR: With the visit of PML-N senior vice president Maryam Nawaz, there is likelihood that her host Chaudhry Saud Majeed may get the party ticket for NA-165 Yazman.

Dawn learnt from close circles of Mr Majeed that during her two days stay here, Ms Nawaz gave her host the assurance of the award of the party ticket for the general election.

Earlier, some close aides to Mr Majeed claimed that an assurance had already been given to him in his meeting with PML-N supreme leader Mian Nawaz Sharif in London. Ms Maryam, who was also there, was invited by Mr Majeed to hold the first-ever party workers convention in Bahawalpur.

This was the third successive visit of Majeed to London to meet Nawaz Sharif. Earlier, he had already visited London twice to meet Nawaz and make a request for the party ticket for his former NA seat from Yazman.

He had some apprehensions that due to closeness of Tariq Basheer Cheema with Prime Minister Mian Shehbaz Sharif, he (Saud) might be overlooked by his party in the award of NA ticket from his old constituency.

He apprehended that Shehbaz Sharif might support Tariq Cheema, his arch rival in the area. Mr Cheema, who was earlier part of the PML-Q, had joined the PML-N about a month back.

There were reports that during his previous two visits, Nawaz had assured Saud Majeed of the party ticket but he also went there for the third time in the presence of Maryam. He made sure that Maryam visited Bahawalpur on her return to Pakistan.

Dawn learnt that along with Saud Majeed, his nephew Saad Masood and former MPA Khalid Jajja have also been assured of Punjab Assembly tickets for PP-247 and PP-248, respectively in Yazman tehsil that is a part of NA-165.

Jajja had recently put pressure on the PML-N by showing his connections in the PTI when he hosted former National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaisar in his area. Perhaps he wanted to show his cards as well as other options to the PML-N. However, it was later said by the circles close to him that Qaisar was on a visit to Cholistan and paid a courtesy call to Jajja.

Presently, federal minister Tariq Basheer Cheema has two MPAs, Dr Muhammad Afzal and Chaudhry Ehsanul Haq, from the PML-Q in Yazman tehsil. There are also reports that Tariq Cheema is interested in fielding his son, Wali Dad Cheema, from the NA seat in Yazman though no formal announcement has so far been made in this regard.

Both PML-Q MPAs, Dr Muhammad Afzal and Chaudhry Ehsanul Haq, had been loyal to former Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Parvez Elahi while Cheema himself stood by Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain when the rift occurred in the PML-Q. However, the current fluid political situation in tehsil Yazman may get clear in due course of time.

Published in Dawn, February 6th, 2023