FAISALABAD, Dec 15: The Ansari Biradari will rule the roost in Faisalabad’s NA-85 constituency as all the mainstream parties have fielded candidates belonging to Ansari clan, while Maliks and Arains are the lucrative choices for the two constituencies, PP-71 and PP-72, falling under NA-85.

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has fielded seasoned Haji Akram Ansari against the Pakistan People’s Party’s newcomer Shakeel Ansari, while PML-Q has decided to field Bilal Noor Ansari, who has joined the party after quitting the PPP. The situation has become taxing for the elders of Ansari clan who will have to choose from among the three clansmen. All the candidates are residents of Ghulam Muhammad Abad, a populous locality of the city.

Haji Akram Ansari, who has returned to the National Assembly four times from this constituency, has been preferred by the party to stalwart Raja Nadir Pervez, who won the 2002 general elections when Akram Ansari, being non-graduate, was sidelined.

Haji Akram returned to the National Assembly from NA-63, which is now NA-85, from Islami Jamhoori Ittehad’s platform in 1988 and 1990 general elections by bagging 45,962 and 60,983 votes, respectively. He was again elected to the National Assembly from the same constituency in 1993 and 1997 on PML-N’s ticket by obtaining 62,592 and 62, 963 votes.

Though Akram Ansari helped Nadir Pervez’s defeat PPP’s Bilal Noor Ansari in this constituency in the 2002 general elections, he himself has cleared the graduation hurdle now and the party has decided to trust his invincibility.

Nadir Pervez got 41,448 votes while PPP’s Bilal Ansari bagged 37,289 votes five years ago. Bilal Noor later joined the PML-Q and clinched its ticket for the 2008 polls.

According to political analysts, Nadir Pervez rendered tremendous services for the PML-N and stood by his party despite pressure by his family members and the governments as well. Though he has launched his election campaign for NA-85, the PML-N’s decision in favour of Akram Ansari for the same constituency has left Nadir’s political future ‘uncertain’ for the time being. He seems very perturbed at the move and did not respond to this scribe for his version.

Nadir is a close relative of Lt-Gen Tariq Pervez (retired) who had allegedly been sacked by the then chief of army staff, Gen Pervez Musharraf, for meeting the then prime minister Nawaz Sharif without seeking permission from his chief (Gen Musharraf). Lt Gen Tariq was Quetta’s corps commander at that time.

However, the wind has changed its direction afterwards and Gen Tariq’s son Raja Adnan Tariq is now a PML-Q candidate from PP-72, one of the two Punjab Assembly constituencies falling under NA-85. The other constituency is PP-71.

Besides Ansaris, three major biradaris, Sheikhs, Maliks and Arains are to play a pivotal role in this constituency and the two provincial constituencies falling under it.

For PP-71, the PML-N has fielded Malik Nawaz, the PML-Q has given ticket to Mian Samad while the PPP has launched Haleem Aslam Malik.

Similarly, besides Adnan Tariq Pervez of the PML-Q, Khawaja Islam of the PML-N and Shujaullah Khan of the PPP are the candidates for PP-72.

Owing to internal differences among local leaders, PML-N insiders said it was too difficult for the central leadership to select an appropriate candidate for NA-85.

Two PML-N groups, one headed by former mayor Sher Ali and the other by former Punjab Assembly deputy opposition leader Rana Sanaullah, were trying to help their favourite candidates fetch party tickets.

Prior to Nawaz Shairf’s last week visit to the city, the sources said the local media was intentionally tipped that Nadir Pervez had been ignored and Haji Akram would replace him. Similarly, rumours were rife that Sheikh Ijaz, who won the last general election from PP-72 with 20,586 votes, had been replaced with PML-N city president Khawaja Mohammad Islam, who had returned to the Punjab Assembly from PP-57 (now PP-72) on PML-N ticket in 1993 and 1997 by getting 34,631 and 34,793 votes, respectively.

Rana Sanaullah immediately appeared to mop the rumours in support of his friends, Nadir and Ijaz, and said no PML-N candidate had yet been selected for NA-85 and PP-72. However, both the candidates have been replaced.

Khawaja Islam was given the party ticket for PP-72 and Mr Ijaz got PML-N ticket for PP-68 in compensation.

But in a latest development, Ijaz, a lawyer, surrendering to his bar’s boycott decision withdrew his nomination papers on Saturday.

Seemingly disgruntled Nadir Pervez, according to sources, was not ready to work for the PML-N after the recent treatment meted out to him.

Talking to Dawn, Khawaja Islam, however, dispelled the impression that both candidates for NA-85 and PP-72 were replaced owing to rift among the local leadership of the party. He claimed that selection board interviewed all aspirants and selected the best available candidate. He hoped the party would sweep the upcoming general elections, especially from Faisalabad.