PMLN struggles to resolve party ticket row among heavyweights

LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PMLN) has not yet resolved the tussle between party heavyweights for distribution of election tickets from some constituencies.

A meeting of PMLN leaders under the chair of Nawaz Sharif was held at Jati Umrah on Tuesday to discuss the rifts between some party leaders over party tickets from certain constituencies. Sources said the meeting held consultations for the second day on the issue of distribution of tickets in the general elections but it failed to reach any conclusion.

Sources added that efforts were made for reconciliation between the party leaders, including Ayaz Sadiq, Rohail Asghar and Talal Chaudhry.

Sources said Rohail Asghar wants to contest elections from NA-121 and he categorically refused to withdraw his papers in the last party meeting in favour of Ayaz Sadiq.

Sources said 12 union council chairmen from NA-121 have expressed their support to Ayaz Sadiq, who has also submitted his nomination papers from NA-119 and NA-117. Similarly, differences also appeared between Talal Chaudhry and Nawab Sher Wasir with regard to NA-96 Jaranwala, said sources, adding separate strong groups in PMLN were supporting Talal and Sher Wasir. Sources said that the issue of seat adjustment with the IPP was also discussed in the PMLN meeting. They claimed the party leadership was ready to give one National Assembly and two provincial assembly seats to IPP in Lahore but some raised objections. Meanwhile, the sources claimed that the dispute between Ahsan Iqbal and Daniyal Aziz was also not resolved as Ahsan Iqbal submitted nomination papers in PP-54 and PP-54 Narowal. These seats fall under NA-75 from where Daniyal Aziz was contesting elections and wanted party tickets for these two provincial assembly seats for his blue-eyed persons.