Election troubles of PML-N leader Ayaz Amir are not over as he is facing stiff resistance within his party over the award of ticket for NA 60, Chakwal, his home constituency. Amir, a renowned columnist, had his district nomination papers rejected by the returning officer on the basis of articles 62 and 63 of the constitution.
An election tribunal later accepted his appeal, clearing his candidature, but his party has yet to decide whether or not to field him as one of its candidates. A senior PML-N leader told local media that Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, the former leader of the opposition in the National Assembly, was opposing the award of party ticket to Amir. Khan in favor of the retired Maj Tahir Iqbal, a former federal minister of the PML-Q and nephew of retired Lt Gen Abdul Majeed. The PML-N leader said that while the party’s chief, Mian Nawaz Sharif, was in favour of Amir in view of his good image in the media, Chuadary Nisar had the support of former chief minister Shahbaz Sharif.
According to sources, Chuadary Nisar feels that Amir should be penalized for criticizing party policies in public. In March, when the PML-N eventually supported a government bill for the Defence Housing Authority in Islamabad, Amir spoke against it. According to the source, Ch. Nisar expected all ticket holders of the party in Rawalpindi division to have been vetted by him. Amir first contested and won the 1997 elections on PML-N ticket for a Punjab Assembly seat from his district, but resigned his seat after developing differences with party leaders. In 2002, Amir lost his seat from Chakwal to Maj Iqbal from PML-Q by only 3,000 votes.