August 08, 2007	Wednesday	Rajab 23, 1428

VEHARI, Aug 7: The ruling Pakistan Muslim League (PML) has not yet finalised its candidates from Vehari district for the upcoming general election because of differences among them, dawn has learnt.

Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi has twice met the local PML leaders in the last six months to discuss with them various issues. At the second meeting with Elahi last week, PML leaders expressed their confidence in party decisions regarding distribution of tickets. Later party leaders who had grievances against the party held a separate meeting and decided that they would not accept the party’s decision on tickets and run independently if the party did not give them tickets.

An important PML leader from Burewala, who attended last week’s meeting in Lahore, said the district nazim’s brother Syed Sajid Shah would contest the election against Chaudhry Nazir Jutt, an incumbent member of the National Assembly (MNA) from the ruling PML. He said that Jutt would contest the election from the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s platform if he was not given a PML ticket. He said that rumours were rife that State Minister for Information Technology Ishaq Khakwani was not interested in the upcoming election because he wanted to become a senator. However, the minister denied the ‘rumours’.

The last week’s meeting with Elahi was summoned after a three-member reconciliatory committee failed to sort out differences among party leaders. MNAs Chaudhry Nazir Jutt, Azher Yousaf Zai and Aftab Khichi, MPAs Ayoub Suldera, Tahir Iqbal, Jawed Iqbal Khichi, Asif Saeed Manais and Mian Majid Nawaz, former Punjab Assembly speaker Saeed Manais, PML District President Chaudhry Nazir Arain, Elahi’s Adviser Noor Mohammad Sahu, former district nazim Mumtaz Khichi, Punjab Transport Minister Ghulam Mohyuddin Chishti, Vehari Tehsil Nazim Mian Saqib Khurshed, Burewala Tehsil Nazim Usman Warraich, Mailsi Tehsil Nazim Asim Saeed Manais and former district naib nazim Sajid Shah attended the meeting. District Nazim Syed Shahid Mehdi and Khakwani did not attend the meeting.

According to a participant of the meeting, Elahi first met all PML leaders jointly and then one by one. He said that about eight people were in the run for PML tickets for four National Assembly seats in Vehari, while about 14 people were running for eight Punjab Assembly seats. The source said the PML did not agree to give ticket to Pakistan People’s Party-Patriot MNA Azher Yousaf Zai from NA-170 Mailsi because the party wanted to give this ticket to Orangzeb Khichi.

The source said that Elahi had showed dissatisfaction with the working of the three-member reconciliation committee that consisted of Saeed Manais, Mumtaz Khichi and Shahid Mehdi, and appointed Punjab Minister for Livestock Haroon Sultan Bokhari to resolve differences among PML leaders in Vehari.

On the other hand, MNA Aftab Khichi from NA-169, MNA Nazir Jutt from NA-167 and MPA Tahir Iqbal from PP-236 claimed that Elahi had given them tickets and they would contest the election from their current constituencies. They said that the party was expected to announce names of other ticket holders after the presidential election.

Sources said that a meeting at the residence of the district nazim on Monday night was attended by all PML leaders from Burewala except MNA Nazir Jutt and Burewala Tehsil Nazim Usman Warraich. Those who attended the meeting decided that their candidates would contest the election independently if the PML did not give them tickets in Burewala tehsil. However, the district nazim denied the report about the meeting.

Political analysts believe that PML will give tickets to most of its incumbent MNAs and MPAs. They say that only a few changes were expected, especially in NA-168 Luddan and NA-170 Mailsi.