ATTOCK, Dec 25: If wishes were horses, then PML-N’s MNA Sheikh Aftab Ahmed, would have already secured a party ticket for the provincial assembly seat, PP-15 Attock-1,  for his son, Sheikh Suleman Sarwar but reality at times is stranger than fiction.

Entering the scene, as potential candidate for PP-15, is Raja Mohammad Siddique. Interestingly, Raja Siddique was also a former minister in Azad Jammu Kashmir (AJK), holding the portfolio of the interior ministry.

Besides AJK — as the Attock-Jhelum areas have linkages with AJK — Mr Raja has always been active in Attock politics.

He has held various portfolios, including Chairman Municipal Committee Attock and former tehsil nazim Attock Union council-1.

Raja Siddique himself made the announcement, at a function to celebrate the birthday of PML-N leader Mian Nawaz Sharif. He said that he would put forward his name to the selection committee and hoped that the committee would consider him as a potential candidate for PP-15.

According to local sources, Raja had been lobbying for the provincial assembly seat for the past few months but never made his intentions public.

Timing being crucial in politics Mr Raja used Nawaz Sharif’s birthday event to launch himself as a potential candidate for PP-15. The move seems to have stumped the Sheikh Aftab group as Raja was considered an ally in the past.

On the other hand, there is scepticism on the candidature of Raja, as a month back in a meeting PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif had announced Sheikh Aftab’s son as the party candidate for PP-15. Besides both father and son — Sheikh Aftab and Suleman — enjoy close association with the Sharif family.

There are other political fissures as well. In the past, serious rifts developed between MNA Mr Aftab and  his   younger brother  Sheikh Shahid Mehmood, as the latter was  also a candidate for PP-15.

As a result the younger brother parted ways with the elder brother. Although — so far — the younger brother has taken the independent route and has developed no links with potential political opponents of Sheikh Aftab.

On the other hand, Mr Raja — if one takes him for his word  — claims that applying for a ticket is part of the political process and every party leader or worker has the right to apply for the ticket.

Raja remains optimistic and hopes that he would be considered for the ticket. So far he has not disclosed his political plans as to what course he would take if not awarded the ticket: would he remain loyal with PML-N or join another party?

Raja emphasised the word “merit”, hoping that the PML-N selection committee would chose potential candidates for PP-15 on merit.

As Raja is older and more experienced in politics than Sheikh Aftab’s son, who also lost the previous elections, therefore Raja is pivoting the word merit for his political advantage.

Although Raja candidly said that he would whole heartedly accept the decision of the party.

But the question remains that after openly posturing himself against the Sheikh Group, would he be able to build bridges back in the fold, in case he is not selected?

These answers one will find out as more events unfold but political analysts believe that with Mr Raja’s entrance in the political scene, Attock politics just became a lot more interesting.