SWABI, March 26: The news about PML-Q, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, president Amir Muqam's imminent joining of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz has thrown the Nawaz Sharif-led party's leaders in the district into a state of agitated confusion.

The reason is that if Mr Muqam becomes part of their party, there's a strong possibility that his close aide in Swabi from PML-Q Ghafoor Khan Jadoon will follow him and in that case, they'll be in a muddle about how the leadership satisfies senior leader from the province Sardar Mehtab Abbasi about entry of his deserter to the party.

Mr Jadoon, who was the food minister in Mr Abbasi's cabinet in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, turned approver against his own boss over wheat scandal after military ruler Pervez Musharraf deposed the government in October 1999. The move, which led to a seven years ban on Mr Abbasi to hold public office, aroused the ire of the PML-N leadership, which expelled Mr Jadoon.

Mr Muqam has announced many times that whatever political party he joined after quitting PML-Q, Mr Jadoon would follow him.

A political heavyweight in Swabi district, Mr Jadoon won a local provincial assembly seat four times and served as a minister once.

During the recent meeting in Lahore, Mr Muqam tried to persuade PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif to accept Mr Jadoon's return to the party but to no avail. However, Mr Muqam, according to sources close to him, is not ready to give up and is confident that he'll manage to sway the Sharifs about Jadoon's re-entry to the party.

It is learnt that Mr Muqam visited Mr Jadoon at his house two weeks ago and advised him against joining Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf.

Initially, PML-N refused to accept PML-Q leaders in the district but later softened the stand due to 'fast changing political situation', according to insiders.

Around a year ago, former PML-Q provincial vice president Sajjad Khan, who belongs to Swabi, joined PML-N. He advocated for Mr Muqam in the party saying it'll strengthen party in the province.

There are many in PML-N who still believe Mr Jadoon won't be allowed to be part of PML-N yet again.

“How can Mr Abbasi and Mr Jadoon sit together? It will never happen,” said a PML-N leader.

Local leaders of PML-N expressed the hope that the leadership would properly consult them over Mr Jadoon's return before making a decision on it.

According to them, in case Mr Jadoon rejoins PML-N, the big issue will be who should be issued PK-36, Swabi-6, ticket in elections. Neither Mr Jadoon nor PML-N leader Aamir Saeed, who remained runner-up in the constituency during the last two polls, will give up.

It's a bigger problem than the return of Mr Jadoon.

When contacted, district general secretary Dildar Khan said the family of Mr Aamir and district senior vice president Shiraz Khan had rendered great sacrifices for the party and one of them would be the candidate in the elections from PK-36. “I hope that our candidate will emerge victorious this time,” he said.

When asked a few days ago, Mr Jadoon avoided declaring himself member of PML-Q or PML-N and said: “I am a Leaguer and continue to be so.”

In case Mr Jadoon returns to PML-N, it will be the second time he did so. Earlier, he switched to PML-Junejo but returned after a short time. At that time, in May 1995 to be exact, Mr Nawaz had said: “Mr Jadoon had slipped away but we are happy that he's returned.”

Observers consider return of Mr Jadoon a big boost for PML-N in Swabi district, especially as for PK-36 election.

Awami National Party's Sarfraz Khan Jadoon won the 2002 and 2008 elections in the constituency.