Lobbying intensifies in PTI for Senate ticket in Punjab

LAHORE: Some noted figures in the PTI are actively lobbying these days to get ticket for the Senate seat of Punjab vacated by Ch Sarwar, who has taken oath as the governor.

The PTI in the last Senate elections held in March this year won only one seat from Punjab in the form of Ch Sarwar, who got elected while bagging highest number of votes than any candidate contesting for the general seats. All the other 11 seats were won by the PML-N which was the majority party of Punjab at that time. Imran-led party in March this year had only 34 MPAs in Punjab Assembly in the House of 371 but Sarwar, due to his good relationships in the ranks of the PML-N and the PML-Q, emerged victorious while bagging 54 votes.

Now, with the new government in power as a result of July 25 polls, the PTI being the largest party in the Punjab Assembly, with the support of its allies like the PML-Q and Rah-e-Haq Party and a few Independents has a strength of 187 followed by 159 of the PML-N whereas the PPP has 7. So far, 354 members out of total 371 have taken oath.

With the largest party in the House, the PTI is likely to have a smooth sailing in the Senate polls for the single seat in case it fields a candidate who could be acceptable to its MPAs. On the other hand, the PML-N will also field a potential candidate who could create an upset in secret balloting process. So far, Ishaq Khakwani, a PTI stalwart from Vehari, who was even dubbed as a hot contestant for the would-be chief minister of Punjab, seems to be at the top of the list for the single vacant seat. According to sources, former MNA Nadeem Afzal Chan is also actively lobbying to get Imran Khan’s nod for the Senate seat.

Similarly, Ch Ashfaq, former district nazim of Toba Tek Singh, who also served as MNA in 1993 is also in the race for the Senate ticket. Waleed Iqbal, grandson of Allama Iqbal, who was refused ticket twice by Imran, once in general and second time in NA-131 by-polls, is also very confident this time to get Senate ticket. Some of the party insiders believe that Waleed will certainly get the ticket. Former senator Babar Awan’s name is also doing rounds in party circles but till date, Ishaq Khakwani stands the brightest chance to get the ticket.

Ishaq Khakwani was elected MNA in 2002 general elections and defeated PML-N central leader Tehmina Daultana. After joining the PTI, he also served as the head of its Southern Punjab chapter. He lost the poll to the PML-N candidate in a recount in 2013 and later also suffered defeat in 2018 elections.

Insiders in the party stated that with the backing of senior party leader like Jahangir Tareen, who is very much influential in Punjab now, it is very likely that Ishaq Khakwani gets the ticket for Senate. With him as a candidate, the PTI could even grab the support of the PML-N legislators from Southern Punjab, with whom he has good relations. After Khakwani, Nadeem Afzal Chan, former PPP MNA of 2008 from Sargodha, who joined the PTI just a year ago is also lobbying to get the ticket.

Gondal also contested the Senate election in 2015 on the PPP ticket at a time when the PPP had only 8 MPAs in the house and he got 27 votes. He had almost made an upset but he remained unfortunate for not going through the first count. Otherwise, with largest number of votes which he received as the ‘second priority’ he could have easily got elected as senator in 2015. He also belongs to a noted political family of Mandi Bahauddin and his father served as MPA in 1985, 1988, 1990, 1993 terms whereas he and his brother Waseem got elected in 2008 on the National Assembly and provincial assembly seats respectively. His uncles Nazar Mohammad Gondal and Zulfiqar Gondal served as MNAs. His father-in-law Aslam Madhiana and brother-in-law Awais Madhiana have also served as PPP MPAs from Sargodha. This entire group lost in 2018 general elections but still their relationship with many political figures, families is still intact.

Ch Ashfaq is also another noted figure who, according to sources, is lobbying to get the PTI ticket for the single Senate seat of Punjab. Ashfaq belongs to Toba Tek Singh, the city of Punjab governor and insiders revealed that the governor wants him as the candidate on the vacant seat. The group of Ch Sarwar in the PTI also comprises MNA Riaz Fatyana whose wife Ashfa Riaz is also a provincial minister. Besides, with the backing of Ch Sarwar in the Senate elections, Ch Ashfaq could also get extra votes from the camps of rival parties. When contacted, Jahangir Tareen told this correspondent that so far party had taken no decision in this connection.