Major parties facing choice problems in Rawalpindi -DAWN

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August 29, 2002	Thursday	Jamadi-us-Saani 19,1423

Major parties facing choice problems in Rawalpindi

By Our Staff Reporter

RAWALPINDI, Aug 28: Almost all major political parties are facing problems in finalizing their candidates from various constituencies in Rawalpindi district for the forthcoming general elections.

The decision of the parliamentary board of the Pakistan Muslim League (N) not to award party ticket to Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, five-time consecutive winner from the defunct NA-38 Rawalpindi, has divided the party in the city.

Sheikh Rashid was aspirant for the PML(N) ticket from NA-55. However, the parliamentary board of the party decided to give ticket to Sardar Tariq. Reacting to the decision, Mr Ahmed not only filed his nomination papers from NA-55, but also from NA-56 as an independent candidate against the party’s vice-president Syed Zafar Ali Shah. He considered Zafar Ali Shah responsible for the party’s division.

An inside source conceded that both Mian Nawaz Sharif and Mian Shahbaz Sharif had requested the parliamentary board to grant party ticket to Sheikh Rashid Ahmed. However, they had to succumb to the pressure from Zafar Ali Shah and some other local party leaders, who had even threatened to stay out of the elections, if the ticket was granted to Sheikh Rashid Ahmed.

The political circles believe that this decision in any case has resulted in division in the PML-N ranks in the city and has weakened its hold.

The distribution of tickets on provincial assembly seats also caused serious heartburn. Some workers say tickets have been given to some people who were not committed to the party.

Taking benefit of the situation, the PML (Q) decided not to field any candidate against Sheikh Rashid Ahmed.

Another decision which created unrest among the PML(N) workers was issuance of party ticket to Mohammad Ali, son of party chairman Raja Zafarul Haq, from PP-2. The most strong reaction, sources said, came from Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, who has been regularly winning from the Murree constituency and is again the party’s candidate from NA-50.