ALPURI, Aug 5: Doctor Ibadullah, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz MNA from Shangla, is likely to vacate his National Assembly seat (NA-31) to pave the way for re-entry of his elder brother Engineer Amir Muqam, central vice-president of the party, into mainstream national politics.

Sources close to Muqam family told Dawn that homework had been made in this regard. His brother Ibadullah had won the May 11, 2013, general election from Shangla, the hometown of Amir Muqam. He had consecutively won the 2002 and 2008 general elections from this constituency with thumping majority.

However, he left this safe seat to his younger brother Ibadullah in the May 11 election and opted to contest from NA-30 Swat, PK-80 and PK-82 on PML-N ticket. However, in a great setback Muqam lost to PTI candidates on all the three seats. PML-N provincial chief Pir Sabir Shah, Khwaja Hoti, Rahmat Salam Khattak and other former lawmakers of PML-N were also defeated in the election.

A key PML-N provincial leader told Dawn that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had given green signal to Amir Muqam to contest election from his home constituency. Dr Ibadullah, who is presently in Saudi Arabia to perform Umra, will vacate the NA-31 seat on his return after Eidul Fitr.

He said that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif himself will visit Shangla as part of Amir Muqam’s election campaign and announce special package for the people of Shangla at a public meeting there.

However, when contacted Amir Muqam ruled out any such development, saying may be his brother, Dr Ibad, wanted to see him (Muqam) in the National Assembly but there was no such plan in the near future.