PMLN likely to give tickets to all PTI dissidents of no-trust move

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) is all set to award tickets to PTI dissidents led by Raja Riaz, the lawmaker who paved the way for the formation of Shehbaz Sharif-led government in April 2022, according to an insider of the party. Raja Riaz, who was made the opposition leader during the Shehbaz government, later joined the PMLN.

The decision has been taken almost in favour of all of them except for Nawab Sher Waseer as Talal Chaudhry, a party loyalist from Jaranwala (Faisalabad) who stood with the leadership through thick and thin, is also a strong contender from the same constituency. Talal, who faced a five-year disqualification on contempt charges from Saqib Nisar-led Supreme Court, is adamant on contesting from NA-96 and has not submitted papers from any other constituency.

Raja Riaz, who is also from Faisalabad, has been accommodated from the seat from where Rana Ihsaan Afzal Khan was a candidate of the party. Ihsaan is the son of former PMLN MNA Afzal Khan, who served as state minister of commerce and finance during Shahid Khaqan Abbasi’s stint as premier. He could not put up a strong defence in favour of his candidature whereas Riaz was thought to be a better candidate, said a party leader who is privy to the ongoing decision. Chaudhry Farrukh Altaf has been finalised from Jhelum. He is the son of Chaudhry Altaf Hussain who served as Punjab governor when Benazir Bhutto was the prime minister. Fawad Chaudhry is a cousin of Farrukh. Both of them have submitted nomination papers from NA-61, which raises prospects of their contest against each other. Farrukh has also applied from NA-60 and it is not yet clear for which constituency the PMLN will grant him a ticket. He is most likely to get it from NA-61. Ahmed Hussain Deharr will likely be the PMLN candidate from Multan against the son of Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani from NA-151. Last time, he defeated Abdul Qadir Gilani. Basit Bokhari from Muzaffargarh will likely face his brother, Haroon Sultan Bokhari, who may contest from the PPP ticket. They are sons of Abdullah Shah Bukhari.

Amjad Farooq Khosa will face from the PMLN platform Khawaja Shiraz from Tonsa (Dera Ghazi Khan) who will likely contest from the PTI ticket. Incidentally, Khawaja Shiraz stopped short of defecting from the PTI at the eleventh hour as he was not comfortable with Imran Khan during the latter’s government. Other PTI dissidents who will be awarded PMLN tickets are Rana Qasim Noon (Multan), Abdul Ghaffar Wattoo (Bahawalnagar), Sami-ul-Hassan Gillani (Bahawalpur), Syed Mobeen Ahmed (Rahim Yar Khan), Amir Gopang (Muzaffargarh), Riaz Mazari (Dera Ghazi Khan), and Afzal Dhandla (Bhakkar). Asim Nazir, who was also a part of this group, doesn’t intend to contest the election. A female MNA, Wajiha Qamar, has again been accommodated on a reserved seat against the same quota. PMLN leader Marriyum Aurangzeb said, “There is nothing final yet. All those assuming whatever are just making guesses.”