MUZAFFARGARH, Nov 24: The Pakistan Muslim League high command has virtually sidelined the Shaukat Aziz group by denying tickets to the former prime minister’s choicest choices in the cabinet, Hina Rabbani Khar and Engineer Shahid Jameel Qureshi, on Saturday.

Both ministers made it to the cabinet just because of Shaukat Aziz, but Chaudhry Shujaat Husain, the ruling party head, was against them.

In the last elections, Hina Khar was elected from NA-177 and Shahid Qureshi from NA-178 on the PML tickets.

This time round the PML parliamentary board gave tickets to Khalid Gurmani and Nawabzada Iftikhar Ahmad Khan who had recently joined the party.

Speaking to Dawn, Hina’s father Rabbani Khar said he would decide to join either PML-N or PPP. Dr Tanvir, the brother of the incarcerated Shahid Jameel Qureshi, said his brother (Shahid) would now contest the election as an independent candidate.

The PML also refused tickets to former MPAs Qaswar Langrial and Imtiaz Aleem Qureshi and they are likely to join the PPP.

Those who got nomination papers were: Sultan Hunjra, Mian Abbas Qureshi for NA-176, Malik Ghulam Mustafa Khar, Mian Khalid Gurmani (NA-177), Nawabzada Iftikhar Ahmad Khan, Nawabzada Mansoor Ahmad Khan, Mian Imtiaz Aleem Qureshi, Tehmina Dasti, Jamshed Dasti, Engineer Shahid Jameel Qureshi, Malik Shah Nawaz Arbi Khar, Malik Arbi Khar (NA-178), Nawabzada Mansoor Ahmad Khan, Zaffar Leghari, Sammi Leghari, Allah Wasaya Chunnoo Leghari, Basit Sultan Bokhari, Abdullah Shah and Haroon Sultan (NA-179).

Besides Hina Khar, two other women, Khalida Qureshi and Tehmina Dasti, are aspiring for the polls from the district.