December 12, 2007	Wednesday	Zilhaj 1, 1428

ISLAMABAD, Dec 11: The Pakistan Muslim League (N) is likely to make some changes in its list of candidates to accommodate ‘stronger’ candidates abandoning the PML (Q) and other parties.

Sources told Dawn the party had decided to field strong candidates in constituencies where prominent PML (Q) leaders were in the contest. Tickets of ‘weak’ candidates are likely to be withdrawn.

PML (N) leader Raja Zafarul Haq claimed that a large number of ‘electable’ candidates in the four provinces were seeking the party ticket and all of them would be accommodated.

PML (Q) leader Tahir Iqbal has returned party’s ticket and former law and privatisation minister Zahid Hamid has resigned from the basic membership. A number of others are said to be lining up to join the PML (N).

Former minister of state Malik Amin Aslam, who is son-in-law of former PIA chairman Chaudhry Ahmed Saeed, has returned the PML (Q) ticket for the NA-57 seat and Sardar Mohammad Ali, a former Punjab assembly member from Attock, has quit the party and joined the PML (N).

PML (Q) leader Azeem Chaudhry, who has not been nominated by the party, will contest for the NA-48 seat (Islamabad) as an independent candidate and his wife, former MNA Aasia Azeem, is reported to be planning to return the party ticket.