December 11, 2007	Tuesday	Ziqa'ad 30, 1428

MULTAN, Dec 10: This time candidates have not turned to their constituencies to kick off electioneering and are still fighting for tickets in their parties offices, Dawn has learnt. Tickets of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League (PML) are much in demand.

Only a few candidates have been confirmed about their candidacy.

From NA-149, nine aspirants are trying to win PML-N tickets, and they are: Makhdoom Javed Hashmi, Allah Nawaz Durrani, Ashraf Saeed Qureshi, Chaudhry Arif Mehmood Boota, Sheikh Muhammad Tariq Rasheed, Malik Muhammad Rafiq Rajwana and Maulvi Sultan Alam Ansari.

The PML-Q has refused tickets to former MPA Muhammad Ibrahim Khan and former MNA Asad Murtaza Gillani for NA-152. Both Mr Khan and Mr Gillani are in the run as independent candidates from this constituency. Sources claim Mr Gillani will be the PML-N’s candidate from this constituency.

Hafiz Iqbal Khakwani has failed to secure the PML-Q ticket for NA-149 and Sheikh Tahir Rasheed claims that the party has nominated him from this constituency. Mr Khakwani ditched the PML-N in 2005 and joined the PML-Q.

Amir Saeed Ansari claims he has bagged the PML-N ticket for PP-195 while his rival, Babu Nafees Ansari says the party has yet to take the decision.

He said that in the last election he was the party’s candidate from this constituency and the same would be repeated this time as well.

Muhammad Moeenuddin Qureshi, who is a PML-Q candidate for PP-194, has reportedly contacted the PML-N for the ticket. PPP sources say that Mr Qureshi also contacted the PPP for ticket but the party refused to entertain him. Mr Qureshi was elected as PPPP MPA in the 2002 elections and later he defected to the PML-Q.

From NA-150, Rana Mahmoodul Hassan and Muhammad Naveed Rana are trying to get the PML-N ticket, while for the PML-Q ticket, Begum Farrukh Mukhtar, Mian Fazal Mukhtar and Mirza Furqan Ali Mughal are in the run.

From NA-153, Malik Muhammad Akram Kanhoon, Ghazanfar Ali Khan Langah, Dewan Syed Jaffar Bukhari and Mehdi Abbas Khan Langah are trying to get the PML-N ticket while PML-Q has hopefuls in Rana Qasim Noon, Dewan Muhammad Abbas Bukhari, Dewan Syed Ashiq Hussain Bukhari and Barrister Syed Najaf Hussain Shah.