PML-N faces internal rifts as heavyweights jostle for party tickets

• Rohail refuses to withdraw nomination from NA-121 for Ayaz.
• Dispute between Ahsan Iqbal, Daniyal Aziz remains unresolved.
• Talal Chaudhry, Nawab Sher Wasir tussle over NA-96 Jaranwala.

LAHORE: The Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) is currently in a fix with its heavyweights got engaged in a rift over party tickets to compete in the upcoming elections, scheduled to take place on February 8, The News reported citing sources on Wednesday.

The party has, therefore, not yet resolved the tussle between these party leaders for the distribution of tickets in some of the constituencies where they wish to contest polls.

PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif, on Tuesday, chaired a meeting of his party leaders at his Jati Umrah residence, where discussions were held to discuss the differences between those clashing over tickets for certain constituencies.

According to the sources, 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.

The sources added that efforts were made for reconciliation between the party leaders including Ayaz Sadiq, Sheikh Rohail Asghar and Talal Chaudhry, among others.

Asghar, as per the sources, wants to contest elections from NA-121 and categorically refused to withdraw his papers in the last party meeting in favour of Sadiq.

The sources mentioned that 12 union council chairmen from NA-121 have expressed their support to 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 over NA-96 Jaranwala, said sources, adding separate strong groups in PML-N were supporting Chaudhry and Sher Wasir.

The sources said that the issue of seat adjustment with the Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP) was also discussed in the PML-N 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 the former 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.