OKARA, April 16: The PML-N has confirmed its five NA and nine PA candidates in the district, however, there may be a change in one of them as the objection petition against the candidate of NA-144 is pending for Wednesday (today) in the Lahore High Court.

For NA-143, the PML-N ticket had been confirmed to former MPA and tehsil nazim Chaudhry Nadeem Abbas Kharal. For PP-185, the ticket had been given to Samina Noor Kharal, the daughter of former four-time MPA Rai Noor Muhammad Kharal, while Advocate Ghulam Raza Rubera, the younger brother of Chaudhry Nadeem, had been nominated for PP-189.

For NA-144, the confirmed candidate, former MPA Chaudhry Muhammad Arif, could be dropped or retained depending on the decision of the Lahore High Court over the pending petition against objections on his nomination papers. The case would be taken up today.

Muhammad Fayyaz Khan Ghori, the PML-N city president for over 10 years, is also an aspirant for a party ticket, saying he had been serving the party loyally for a long time and deserved the ticket. Even in case of refusal, he said, he would contest the elections.

For PP-190, the ticket had been confirmed to former Municipal Committee chairman Mian Muhammad Munir, a two-time party candidate for this seat, and for PP-191, two-time former MPA Mian Yawar Zaman had been nominated. For NA-145, the PML-N had given a ticket to Syed Ashiq Husain Kirmani, district general-secretary of the party, with the support of Brigadier Syed Javed Hasan Kirmani retired, former military secretary to Nawaz Sharif.

Earlier, former MNA and popular political personality Syed Gulzar Sibtain was confirmed as the candidate for NA-145 but his name was withdrawn on the pressure of the Sharif family’s friend Brig Kirmani. Now Sibtain had decided to contest as an independent candidate. However, the PPP candidate in the constituency, former state minister Syed Sumsam Ali Bukhari, could benefit from this tussle within the PML-N ranks.

For PP-186, the PML-N ticket had been confirmed to two-time MPA Chaudhry Javed Allauddin, who had joined the party a few months ago. For PP-187, the ticket had been confirmed to former provincial minister Syed Raza Ali Gilani. Virtually, this constituency comes under two NA constituencies -- NA-145 and 146.

Javed Allauddin talked to Dawn and said he along with Raza Ali Gilani and Samina Noor had told the party leadership they refuse to contest the elections under Ashiq Kirmani. He said they had asked the leadership to give the ticket for NA-145 to Gulzar Sibtain instead. If the leadership cannot do that then the three of them should be “set free” and they would contest the polls independently with Sibtain, he added.

The PML-N leadership had called the trio for a meeting on Wednesday morning (today) to take a decision regarding their proposals.

For NA-146, the PML-N ticket had been confirmed to former MNA Rao Muhammad Ajmal Khan, and for PP-192 it had been given to former MPA Malik Ali Abbas Khokhar, the son of former MPA Malik Muhammad Abbas Khokhar.

For NA-147, the PML-N ticket had been confirmed to former MPA and District Council Chairman Mian Muhammad Moeen Khan Wattoo, who had also been confirmed as a candidate for PP-193. For PP-188, the ticket had been given to former MPA Advocate Chaudhry Iftikhar Husain Chachar.