December 11, 2007	Tuesday	Ziqa'ad 30, 1428

SADIQABAD, Dec 10: There are reports of contacts among the local heads of Pakistan Muslim League-N and Pakistan Peoples Party to negotiate seat adjustment for NA-197 and PP-296.

If any arrangement is reached, it will be a repeat of 2002 general election when Sardar Rais Muneer Ahmed Khan (PPP) won NA-197 and Ch Muhammad Shafiq (PML-N) bagged PP-296 under an arrangement.

Ch Shafiq is once again in run for PP-296 on the PML-N ticket while Sardar Rais Mehboob Ahmed Khan, uncle of Rais Muneer Ahmed Khan, is the PPP candidate for NA-197. Rais Muneer is this time the PML-Q candidate for the same seat.

Rais Mehboob had joined the PPP about two years back after defecting from the PML-Q. Prior to joining the PPP, he was the district president of PML-Q.

If Mehboob and Shafiq join hands, a prospect for which the local leadership of PPP and PML-N is optimistic, the election race will be very tough for PML-Q’s duo of Ch Shaukat Daud (PP-296) and Rais Muneer Ahmed Khan (NA-197).

The PP-296 has traditionally been a PML-N stronghold. The NA-197 is composed of areas falling in PP-296 and PP-297. Historically, PP-297 has been the PPP base. As such the seats in question may go to the PPP and PML-N in case of an arrangement.