Nisar likely to face competition from own party in NA-63 constituency

• Nawaz not willing to award ticket to Nisar until he asks for it

LAHORE: Amid reports of a tussle between Nawaz Sharif and Shehbaz Sharif over issuance of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) ticket to former interior minister Chaudhry Nisar for the upcoming general elections, the party does not seem to be satisfied with Nisar as Rawalpindi President Sardar Mumtaz Khan has filed nomination papers against Nisar in NA-63 constituency.

According to reports, Mumtaz filed the nomination papers in NA-63, after Chaudhry Nisar announced contesting the elections from the same constituency.  The papers were filed with Returning Officer Tahir Abbas Sipra by Mumtaz and his panel.

According to reports, Nawaz Sharif does not wish to award a ticket to Nisar and it has been recommended that he should not be given a ticket if he does not request for one. On the other hand, Shehbaz Sharif remains assertive that Nisar should be granted a party ticket proactively, even if he does not ask for one.

Moreover, speaking to media, PML-N leader Pervez Rasheed on Saturday clarified that tickets will only be awarded to those candidates who make request for it. He, however, refused to comment when asked if the party had issued a ticket to the former interior minister.

It is pertinent to mention that Chaudhry Nisar had earlier said that he has never sought a ticket during his entire political career and he will not do it this time either.

On the other hand, PML-N leader and former state minister for interior Talal Chaudhry said that his leadership would award party tickets to loyal candidates to contest in the upcoming general elections.

He said that those PML-N leaders who defended Nawaz Sharif in Panama Papers case would be given priority in awarding the tickets. He added that Nawaz had always trusted and valued faithful party leaders and would award tickets to them in Punjab.

Earlier, reports were making round, though unconfirmed, that the PML-N stalwart Nisar might join the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) after his year-long rift with party supreme leader Nawaz Sharif over “anti-establishment” stance.

The former interior minister, however, denied these reports multiple times as he reiterated his commitment to the party. He was enjoying good relations with PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif, as they were thought to be close, who even tried to appease him in several meetings.

But it seems things weren’t going well after Shehbaz publically called out Nisar for his ‘childish behaviour’. Nisar in response termed the remarks divorced from reality.

The PML-N is expected to announce party candidates for the national and provincial assembly constituencies for the upcoming general elections in two separate phases, with the first announcement scheduled for June 10.

Close to 70 per cent of those given ticket were previous members of the assemblies. For the remaining 30 per cent, other candidates may be sought because the previous candidates are facing cases.

In addition, Maryam Nawaz and Shehbaz Sharif are expected to contest from three constituencies each whereas Maryam may contest from Karachi.