GUJRAT: The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has to face a setback in Jhelum as an ex-MPA of the party, Chaudhry Saeed, has announced he would contest independently against its nominee Chaudhry Laal Khan in PP-26.

Moreover, some key PML-N officials, including its district secretary general Hafiz Ijaz Janjua and Jhelum city chapter president Shahid Rasool Dar, have announced quitting the party in protest against award of ticket to Mr Laal, also an ex-MPA and vowed to support Chaudhry Saeed.

Mr Janjua and Mr Dar, flanked by around a dozen other PML-N officials from Jhelum district and city chapters told a press conference they were also against the party leadership’s decision of awarding NA-66 (Jhelum city-Dina- Sohawa) ticket to Mr Nadeem Khadim. Both Mr Khadim and Mr Laal belong to Gurmala family.

The local party workers had been demanding the NA-66 ticket for Bilal Azhar Kiyani and of PP-26 for Chaudhry Saeed. Later they scaled down their demand and asked the leadership to award the party ticket either to Mr Khadim or Mr Laal. But the PML-N leadership awarded both the tickets to Gurmala family, resulting in a revolt in the party ranks.

The dissident group has also announced it would support the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf candidates in Jhelum district. The PTI has fielded Farrukh Altaf in NA-66 and Fawad Chaudhary in NA-67 and PP-27.

As per local observers, the rebel group may dent the party in the district where it was previously considered strong.

The PML-N has been winning the Jhelum seats since 1993 and it was only in 2002 when the party had lost one of the two NA seats. In 2008 and 2013 the party had clinched all the seats in the district.

According to local sources, another PML-N nominee (for PP-25) Mehr Fayaz, an ex-MPA, is also not happy with the decision to award NA ticket to Khadim Gurmala, since he (Fayaz) too was an aspirant.

The party sources say Mehr Fayaz was covertly supporting an independent candidate in the constituency, Chaudhry Saqlain, against Mr Gurmala.

On the other hand, the PTI is also facing a similar situation in Jhelum, where ex-MPA Chaudhary Saqlain of Sohawa, who had been the party’s candidate in 2013 from NA-66, is contesting as an independent candidate against its nominee, Farrukh Altaf, after being denied the ticket.

The party had offered Mr Saqlain ticket for PP-25 (Dina-Sohawa) which he declined.

Published in Dawn, July 3rd, 2018