Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) on Sunday fielded candidates from four constituencies to contest elections against Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan despite reconciliatory signals from the latter.
Rumours had it both sides were on path to patch-up that finally came untrue. The PML-N tickets were awarded to Raja Qamarul Islam for NA-59 and PP-10 and Sardar Mumtaz Khan for NA-63 from where Ch Nisar has announced to contest polls without any party's candidature. The PML-N has given its go-ahead to Faisal Qayyum Malik for the PP-12 constituency.
Meanwhile, PML-N's Chaudhry Sarfaraz Afzal, Raja Sarfraz Asghar and Zeeshan Siddiq Butt will contest for PP-13, PP-20 and PP-19, respectively. On Saturday, PML-N had also not fielded any candidate against Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan in the two National Assembly and two provincial assembly seats of district Rawalpindi
Sources said the PML-N president Shahbaz Sharif had taken the decision in order to keep party doors open for his old friend of 34 four years. However, sources said that Maryam Nawaz group in the party had prevailed and put up candidates against Nisar to test his real popularity in Rawalpindi division.
Sources further stated that Senator Pervaiz Rashid was against giving party ticket to Nisar, adding that the former interior minister won't be issued ticket for he did not submit an application. It may be recalled that in a press conference on Friday Ch Nisar clarified he was not angry and had differences with former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and not with the party. He also avoided directly criticizing the PML-N leadership.