Internal rifts delay PML-N party tickets announcement in Punjab

• PML-N leadership facing difficulties in finalising decision: sources.
• Rift between Sadiq, Rohail over party ticket not resolved.
• PML-N leaders resisting seat adjustment with IPP and PML-Q.

Internal rifts and seat adjustment delayed the announcement of party tickets by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) in Punjab, The News reported citing party sources on Monday.

The party sources said it was expected that the party leadership would issue the names of party ticketholders on Sunday, but it was postponed as seat adjustment with IPP, PML-Q, and the internal rift between PML-N leaders over party tickets were not addressed yet.

The PML-N leadership is facing difficulties in finalising the decision about the party tickets for the general election scheduled to be held on Feb 8, 2024, sources said adding that the delay in the final announcement was causing problems for the party ticket aspirants who had not started their election campaigns yet.

Sources said the PML-N Parliamentary Board meetings concluded over a week ago and to date the party had not reached a final decision about the award of tickets.

In Lahore, a rift between Ayaz Sadiq and Sheikh Rohail Ashgar over the party ticket had not been resolved, as both were not ready to give up. Similar was the case at Narowal where Daniyal Aziz and Ahsan Iqbal were entangled in a rift over the party tickets for their blue-eyed candidates.

When contacted, Rohail Ashgar said he didn’t know the fate of the seat so far. He said he enjoyed good relations with party supremo Nawaz Sharif and had no rift with the party leadership.

Sources claimed the PML-N leaders were also resisting seat adjustment with the IPP and PML-Q on the pretext that the winning seats of the party should not be given to these parties. The PML-N’s top leadership had decided to give tickets to defecting members of the PTI.

As per reports, PML-N leader Abdul Rehman Kanju was angry for accommodating Jahangir Tareen in Lodhran and announced contesting elections from two seats as an independent candidate if Tareen was given priority over him.

Sources claimed the party leadership has hinted a seat adjustment with defecting members of the PTI — Syed Mubeen Ahmed from Rahim Yar Khan and Samiul Hasan Gillani from Bahawalpur — but the local PML-N leadership was not ready to accept the decision.

In Faisalabad, the seat of Talal Chaudhry was also in danger as there were chances that the party would consider Nawab Sher Wasair while Raja Riaz would also be given a ticket from Faisalabad.

The News tried to contact Malik Ahmed Khan and other party leaders to get their comments about the delay, but no response was received till the filing of the report.

Meanwhile, PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif held meetings with party leaders to discuss the issues. Former ministers and party leaders included Khawaja Saad Rafique, Khawaja Salman Rafique, Mian Javed Latif, Mian Ata Manika, Malik Afzal Khokhar, Mohsin Shahnawaz Ranjha, Dr. Zulfikar Bhatti, Sardar Irfan Dogar, Malik Saiful Mulook Khokhar, Chaudhry Muhammad Tufail Jat and Muhammad Ashraf Jat held meetings with Shehbaz Sharif.

In the meetings, party issues and election preparations were discussed.

Shehbaz said the PML-N would bring a balance in the economic policy and take both people and financial institutions together.