ISLAMABAD: The major political parties – Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) are facing apparent internal tensions over the distribution of tickets in Islamabad’s local government ahead of elections.
However, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has been safe from the internal rift with the party as it hardly found suitable candidates for the three National Assembly seats.
After the recent delimitation, the number of NA seats in Islamabad has increased from two to three – NA-52, 53 and 54.
The central leadership of PML-N took notice of the rifts and directed local leaders to attend the workers’ convention. Moreover, Anjum Aqeel and Syed Zeeshan Naqvi met to discuss this matter further.
According to a local media report, PML-N central leadership wants to award ticket to Anjum Aqeel for NA-54 as they believe that he could give a tough time to PTI’s Asad Umar.
However, the PML-N is facing internal rifts over the award of tickets in NA-53 and NA-54.
For NA-53 both the PML-N and PTI are facing grouping over the allocation of tickets.
PTI chief wanted to award ticket to Amir Kiani, whereas the local PTI leadership thinks that the ticket should be given to Chaudhry Ilyas Mehrban, who in 2013 elections bagged over 57,000 votes against PML-N’s Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry. Former PPP senator Babar Awan is also in the race for getting a party ticket from NA-53.
On the other hand, the PML-N has not decided a candidate for allocation of the ticket for NA-53 as the local chapter of the party and a majority of elected chairmen are supporting Sajid Abbasi.
For NA-52, there is no serious clash for allocating the ticket as PML-N is keen on getting Dr Tariq Fazal, while PTI is considering Raja Khurram Nawaz.
Jamaat-e-Islami is also facing grouping over the allocation of tickets as its former candidate from NA 49 Zubair Farooq is seriously considering contesting as an independent candidate from NA 54 while former MNA Mian Aslam is likely to contest from both NA 54 and NA 53.