MUZAFFARABAD: The opposition Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz in Azad Jammu and Kashmir withdrew its candidate for the Mirpur by-election on Friday in favour of the ruling Pakistan People’s Party (PPPAJK), causing resentment among its workers.

The withdrawal of Arshad Mahmood Ghazi in favour of PPPAJK’s Chaudhry Mohammad Ashraf was announced by regional PML-N president Raja Farooq Haider at Ghazi Manzil, hardly 36 hours before the polling. The announcement angered the PML-N workers who had gathered at Mr Ghazi’s residence to hold a rally.

The workers urged their leaders not to announce the decision, but were told that it had been taken on the directives of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif under the spirit of the ‘Charter of Democracy’.

Know more: Nawaz meets Zardari after endorsing Raza Rabbani for Senate chief

Mr Haider said former president Asif Ali Zardari had asked Prime Minister Sharif to withdraw the PML-N candidate “to promote the reconciliation policy in the interest of democracy and the people of Mirpur”.

He told the workers that Mr Ghazi would be elected to AJK Council with support of PPPAJK and a large development package for Mirpur would be implemented through him.

However, fuming PML-N activists tore and torched posters and banners and raised slogans against Mr Ghazi who had also withdrawn his candidature in the 2011 elections in favour of Chaudhry Ashraf, then a Muslim Conference candidate. PTI candidate and regional chief Barrister Sultan Mahmood told Dawn that the development had again vindicated his assertion about an “unholy nexus” between the PML-N and PPP.

“The good omen is that the PML-N workers have not accepted this decision and have instead announced their support for me,” he claimed.

Published in Dawn, March 28th, 2015

On a mobile phone? Get the Dawn Mobile App: Apple Store | Google Play