November 22, 2007	Thursday	Ziqa’ad 11, 1428

LAHORE, Nov 21: The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz has decided to field Raja Zafarul Haq from Lahore in the next elections, provided the party takes part in the process.

At the moment its provincial leaders are against contesting the elections under the Provisional Constitution Order as they consider it damaging for the cause of free judiciary and democracy.

Officials say PML-N Chairman Haq as well as other party leaders have been informed of the decision of fielding Mr Haq from Lahore while a couple of them have been tasked with convincing him to agree with the decision taken by PML-N President Shahbaz Sharif who is responsible for looking after parliamentary affairs of Lahore district.

Officials say the high command wants to see Mr Haq in the National Assembly to lead the party’s parliamentarians in the house and a “secure seat” is required for making him through to the house.

The party may filed Mr Haq from NA-120 (Krishannagar, Rajgarh, Anarkali, Gowalmandi, and adjacent localities) from where Pervaiz Malik, the brother of attorney-general Malik Qayyum, returned to the National Assembly in the Oct 2002 polls.

Under the proposed plan reportedly devised by Shahbaz Sharif, former member of Provincial Assembly Malik Riaz will be the PML-N nominee from NA-118 (Shahdara and Ravi Road areas). The seat was surrendered to the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) in the last polls in which Hafiz Salman Butt had defeated former PMLQ president Mian Muhammad Azhar.

Hamza Shahbaz will be fielded from NA-119 (Walled City), Raja Zafarul Haq from NA-120, while NA-121 (Gulshan Ravi, Sabzazar, Awan Town and other localities along the Multan Road) will be left open for the MMA (read Jamaat-i-Islami) in case of seat adjustment.

Jamaat’s Fareed Piracha returned from the seat to the National Assembly in the last general election in such an electoral alliance.