NA 249 Karachi by-poll: PPP rejects PML-N’s request to withdraw candidate

• PPP has refused to withdraw its candidate from the NA-249 contest for the National Assembly’s berth despite PML-N’s request.
  
• PML-N’s Miftah Ismail is contesting from the constituency.
  
• The elections will take place on April 29.
  

ISLAMABAD: In a sign of widening differences among the two major Opposition parties, PPP has refused to withdraw its candidate from the NA-249 contest in favour of PML-N despite the party’s request for support, sources told The News on Wednesday.

PML-N’s Miftah Ismail is contesting from the constituency, which has fallen vacant due to the resignation PTI’s Faisal Vawda who had quit from the seat to avoid disqualification in a case pertaining to his dual citizenship.

Former prime minister and secretary-general of Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), Shahid Khaqan Abbasi visited the Zardari House to seek the PPP’s support for his party’s candidate last week.

He held an extensive meeting with PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari in this regard.

The PML-N leader urged Bilawal to withdraw his party’s candidate Qadir Mandokhail in the light of the PDM “spirit.” Bilawal promised to return to the PML-N after consulting his party.

Read more: 'PDM already decided PML-N would get Leader of the Opposition in the Senate'

But Abbassi’s Mission-Karachi turned up to be a failure as the PPP refused to withdraw its candidate instead it asked PML-N to withdraw its candidate.

The sources said that Pakistan Sarzameen Party (PSP) Chairman Mustafa Kamal and PTI’s Amjad Afridi are major rivals of Miftah.

The ANP also put its candidate in this provincial constituency but the defiance of the ANP was ignored.

The elections will take place on April 29.