August 10, 2007	Friday	Rajab 25, 1428

LAHORE, Aug 9: The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leadership is not in favour of forging any alliance or making seat adjustments with any party for the forthcoming general elections.

A central PML-N leader told Dawn here on Thursday that former prime minister Nawaz Sharif was also of the same opinion which he had expressed, though indirectly, in the London meetings of the party. The meetings had dwelt on the role the MMA, whom the PML-N had accommodated at many seats in the 2002 polls, had played in the approval of the 17th amendment.

He asserted that in case of return of the Sharifs to the country, there was not even one per cent chance of any electoral alliance or seat adjustment, at least in Lahore and other urban centres.

He said the leadership believed that with the current graph of the PML-N popularity, it would clean sweep in urban areas of Punjab provided the polls were held in a free and fair manner.

He claimed that for each National and Punjab Assembly seat of Lahore, more than two candidates were available, however, a final decision on awarding party tickets would be taken after announcement of the election schedule.