December 08, 2007	Saturday	Ziqa'ad 27, 1428

TOBA TEK SINGH, Dec 7: A former Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) lawmaker says he has refused the party ticket for PP-90.

Former MPA Mian Muhammad Rafiq told journalists here on Friday that he told his party’s provincial leadership at a recent meeting that he would not contest the election under Khalid Ahmad Kharal (NA-94, Kamalia) and Hafeezullah Ishaq (NA-93, Toba).

He said Kharal in the past forced Ghiasuddin Janbaz, Fazal Hussain Rahi and Riaz Hashmat Janjua out of the party. He said Kharal also victimised him in the 2002 general election. He said Kharal connived with former district nazim Chaudhry Muhammad Ashfaq and supported his (Rafiq’s) rival Liaquat Ali Shaukat of the Pakistan Muslim League. He announced that he would contest the election independently.

On the other hand, Shaukat has chosen to be the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) candidate in PP-90. He had applied for the PML ticket, but later he changed his mind and reverted to the PML-N. PML-N candidate in NA-94 Chaudhry Asadur Rehman told Dawn on phone that Shaukat was now the PML-N candidate in PP-90.