RAHIM YAR KHAN: The Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) may face defection of some of its diehard leaders/workers in the district politics over the tickets issue for the coming general election.

Sources say former MPA from PP-256 (Liaqatpur) Mian Islam Aslam, having 23 years association with the party, has decide to switch over to another party in a couple of days due to denial of ticket.

Aslam was called by Chaudhry Muhammad Munir, a prominent businessman close to the Sharifs, to Lahore and told him that he would be made a councilor in the next local bodies elections to enable him to become Chairman of the Municipal Committee, Liaqatpur.

Two former MPAs and brothers from Liaqatpur city Chaudhary Masood Ahmed (who resigned from the MPA seat during the PTI rule) and Chaudhry Mehmood Ahmed (of PML-Q) met the PML-N leadership in Lahore a few days ago where they were told Mehmood Ahmed would be the party ticket holder from PP-256.

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Most PML-N ticket applicants from RYK, especially of the Arian clan, follow the instructions of Ch Munir because he is considered an elder of the clan.

Aslam confirmed these political developments and told Dawn that if he was ignored by the MPL-N for PP-256 ticket, he had the choice to switching over to any other party, including Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) or Istehkam Pakistan Party (IPP) and it would be announced in three days.

Some local political figures of Liaqatpur believe that Aslam has close relations with PPP south Punjab president Makhdoom Ahmed Mehmood and the Makhdooms of Taranda Muhammad Pannah.

Aslam’s position, according to them, was strong in the constituency due to his personal votebank.

On the other hand, differences surfaced between MPL-N district general secretary Mian Imtiaz Ahmed and former NA deputy speaker Chaudhry Jaffar Iqbal Gujjar over RYK tehsil tickets.

If both groups agree on a formula that Imtiaz will contest from NA-172 with Umar Jaffar Gujjar (PP-262) and Mehmood Cheema (PP-263), the party position will be strong.

But Mian Ijaz Aamir, former RYK Municipal Committee chairman and younger brother of Imtiaz, said being an old member of the PML-N, he had the right to get PP-262 ticket.

He told Dawn that if the party grants him a ticket, he will win the seat. “But if party doesn’t, I will immediately decide to join any other party except PPP.

Mian Aamir has support of 30 former MPL-N councillors who can play the main role for his success.

Another prominent businessman and chairman of Founder Friends Alliance in RYKCCI Mian Aamir Shehbaz will also give a tough time to his rivals in PP-262. he is a favourite candidate for the PPP ticket.

Published in Dawn, November 11th, 2023