December 17, 2007	Monday	Zilhaj 6, 1428

GUJRANWALA, Dec 16: Already facing defections, PML-Q woes keep multiplying in the district.

The fresh shock (on Sunday) was the announcement of NA-96 JUI-F candidate Qazi Hameedullah that there was no seat adjustment with the PML-Q.

The former ruling part had withdrew its candidate Imtiaz Bhutta from the same seat a few days ago as part of its `seat adjustment understanding’ with the Fazal-led JUI.

In return the Q-League expected the JUI-F to support its nominees for PP-93 and PP-94 (Kh Waqar and Lala Zahid Ansari), the Punjab Assembly seats falling under NA-96.

Qazi Hameed however declared that he would back his party men Hafiz Imran and Rana Muhammad Irfan for the same seats, respectively.

Meanwhile, several Pakistan Muslim League (PML) candidates, who were running their election campaigns comfortably, are in trouble after Nawaz Sharif’s return to Pakistan and his announcement regarding his party’s participation in the Jan 8 elections.

Several national and local leaders of the erstwhile ruling PML joined Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League when he visited Gujranwala a few days ago to address a public meeting at Sheranwala Bagh.

Of those who recently quit the PML and joined the PML-N, Rana Nazir Ahmad is former state minister, his son Rana Umer Nazir is former federal parliamentary secretary, Mian Mazher Javed is former member of the Punjab Assembly, his brother Mian Tariq Javed is nazim of Qila Dedar Singh Town and their brother-in-law Dr Ghulam Sarwer is an aspirant for PP-97. Besides, several union council nazims joined the PML-N.

In response, the PML-N fielded Rana Nazir in NA-99, Mian Asif Aqeel in NA-98 and Dr Ghulam Sarwer in PP-97.