PML-N, PTI see rifts over Islamabad poll tickets

Ahead of the general elections, both the major political parties – the Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) – are facing apparent internal rifts over the distribution of tickets for Islamabad.There is no division in the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) as the party has hardly found suitable candidates for Islamabad’s three National Assembly (NA) seats.After the recent delimitation, the number of NA seats in Islamabad rose from two to three – NA-52, NA-53, and NA-54.Due to the internal issues, according to former member of the National Assembly (MNA) Anjum Aqeel Khan, PML-N supreme leader Nawaz Sharif addressed a party workers’ convention in E-11 yesterday.This is considered the start of the election campaign in the capital city.Sources said the PML-N central leadership had taken note of the rifts and directed local leaders to attend the convention.In this regard, a meeting was held yesterday between Anjum Aqeel and deputy mayor Syed Zeeshan Naqvi.Sources said that the PML-N central leadership wants to award a ticket to Anjum Aqeeel for NA-54 as they believe that he would present 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.Two deputy mayors – Syed Zeeshan Naqvi, who himself is a candidate, and Azam Khan – are openly opposing the expected decision of the party.At a press conference recently, the PML-N local leadership, under the supervision of the two deputy mayors and a number of Union Council (UC) chairmen, demanded that the NA-54 ticket be allotted to Syed Zeeshan Naqvi and UC chairman (elected on reserved seat) Sajid Abbasi be fielded from NA-53.For NA-54, Anjum Aqeel is likely to face Asad Umar while in NA-53, both the PML-N and PTI are seeing divisions over the allocation of tickets.The sources said that for NA-53, the PTI chief wanted to award ticket to his old companion Amir Kiani.Kiani is PTI Punjab north president and his family has been living in Islamabad even before it became the federal capital.However, 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.Another option, according to them, should be opposition leader in the Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad (MCI), Ali Awan.Former PPP senator Babar Awan is also in the race for a NA-53 party ticket.On the other hand, the PML-N remains undecided on the NA-53 ticket as the local chapter of the party and a majority of elected chairmen support PML-N city general secretary Sajid Abbasi.Former Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD) minister Dr Chaudhry, who will be contesting from his home constituency of NA-52, is also an aspirant from NA-53 while former MNA Farhana Qamar and UC chairman Phulgrhan Raja Waqar Mumtaz are also interested in contesting the election from NA-53.For NA-52, there is no serious clash among the ticket aspirants as the PML-N has almost decided to field Dr Chaudhry while the PTI leadership is considering giving ticket to Raja Khurram Nawaz, the UC chairman of Tamar.PPP leader Syed Nayyar Hussain Bokhari won NA-49 in 2002 and in the last elections Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar got almost 45,000 votes from the constituency (now NA-53).The party has now decided to field Syed Sibtul Hassan Bokhari.From NA-52, Afzal Khokhar will contest the elections while from NA-54 Raja Imran Ashraf will be the PPP candidate.Jamaat-e-Islami is also facing divisions 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.PML-N deputy mayor Syed Zeeshan Naqvi has said that there is a difference of opinion amongst party workers on the award of tickets, but insisted that the party is united under the leadership of Nawaz Sharif and Shehbaz Sharif, and that the workers would follow whatever decision the leadership would take.The PTI’s Asad Umar said that although there are a number of candidates, there is no rift among the party workers.