JUST weeks before the general election on February 8, 2023, significant discord has erupted within the PML-N party ranks regarding the allocation of party tickets. Rana Sanaullah has successfully secured a Provincial Assembly ticket for his son-in-law, while Chaudhry Daniyal Aziz anticipates receiving a National Assembly ticket following his reconciliation with Nawaz Sharif and Shehbaz Sharif. Visible competition is arising between the favourites of Shehbaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz in several constituencies. As nomination papers are being filed for the February 8 elections, the leadership of PMLN finds itself entangled in internal disputes and disagreements over the allocation of party tickets.
Some of the leaders like PML-N Punjab President, Rana Sanaullah, has managed to get a party ticket for his son-in-law for the Punjab Assembly while Chaudhry Daniyal Aziz, who had previously developed differences with senior party leadership is expected to receive the NA ticket for Narowal after reconciling with the Sharif brothers and Ahsan Iqbal. Like In Lahore, the redrawing of electoral boundaries has caused a dilemma for the leadership, affecting two party heavy weights, Ayaz Sadiq and Sheikh Rohail Asghar. This is the most disturbing matter for Nawaz Sharif to prefer one as both are close to him. The body language of Ayaz Sadiq shows that he is made to sacrifice for Rohail Asghar.
Ali Pervaiz Malik, who won the last election in the previous NA-127 constituency, has been asked to surrender this seat for Maryam Nawaz, though he may be accommodated in by-polls. His mother, Shaista Pervaiz Malik, has been given go-ahead to contest from NA-133. In Jaranwala’s NA-76 constituency, Maryam supports Talal Chaudhry, while Shehbaz Sharif endorses Malik Nawab Sher Waseer, a former MNA who defected from the PTI. Similar situation unfolds in Gujranwala, where the Shehbaz group backs the party’s Deputy Secretary General Attaullah Tarar, but the Maryam group supports former MNA Mehmood Bashir Virk for being a long-standing party member. PML-N Lahore President Saiful Malook Khokhar, who secured position in the party with the blessings of Maryam Nawaz, was seeking at least four seats, two each in National and Punjab Assemblies in the city, raising concerns within the party.
The Chaudhries of Gujrat had made it clear to the PMLN leadership that if more than two seats were given to the PML-Q of Chaudhry Shujaat, the PML-N ticket aspirants there would contest independently. Chaudhry Salik and Chaudhry Shafay Hussain are keen in contesting on NA and PA seats from Gujrat, respectively. On all the disputed seats, Nawaz Sharif would give a final decision acceptable to all concerned. In Bahawalpur’s NA-172 constituency, Maryam was not in favour to oblige PML-Q’s former associate Tariq Bashir Cheema as she wanted to accommodate party loyalist Saud Majid. Tariq Cheema is asking the quarters concerned to ensure his seat adjustment with the PML-N as he had voted against Imran Khan. In Narowal, Daniyal Aziz was unhappy with the party leadership for ignoring him over the past five years and he also wanted a Provincial Assembly ticket for a person of his choice, while Ahsan Iqbal lobbied for his son in the same constituency in Narowal for the upcoming polls.
Ahsan Iqbal was likely to secure the party ticket for that PA seat for his son, Ahmad Iqbal. Daniyal Aziz, who recently launched a diatribe against PML-N Secretary General Ahsan Iqbal and Information Secretary Maryam Aurangzeb over inflation and poor communication strategy during the 16-month rule of the Shehbaz Sharif-led Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), is reported to have mended his relations with the party leadership. The PML-N leader said Mr Aziz has now been promised a PML-N ticket for Narowal’s previous NA-116, but no words were given to him for Awais Qasim, the person Mr Aziz was lobbying for the PA seat.
The PMLN faces challenges distributing tickets among loyalists due to pressure from the IPP, which supported the ‘no-confidence vote’ against Imran Khan. To appease IPP, PMLN might concede some seats, but IPP’s demand for a significant number in Punjab creates a deadlock. This imbalance not only affects fair elections but also burdens the nation financially. Democratic nations like the UK have banned contesting multiple seats, ensuring financial prudence and fairness. India allows two simultaneous candidacies, Bangladesh permits three, addressing similar concerns.
This practice has recently sparked debate, particularly after PTI chief Imran Khan’s decision to contest the same eight constituencies in last year’s by-elections. We regret that a private bill introduced last year by a JI MNA, aimed at restricting candidates to no more than two seats, was not taken seriously. The ability to contest from multiple constituencies creates an inherent imbalance in the poll competition. This provision favours those with ample resources, sidelining capable candidates with limited financial means. This disparity goes against the essence of a democratic system, which should ideally ensure equal opportunities for all aspirants, irrespective of their economic status. This matter also has a direct impact on voter sentiment. When elected representatives vacate seats to choose another, it can lead to a sense of disenfranchisement among the electorate. This practice not only necessitates costly by-elections but also weakens voters’ trust in the democratic process.
—The writer is editor, book ambassador political analyst and author of several books based in Islamabad.
Email: [email protected]
views expressed are writer’s own.
