GUJRAT: The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf and Pakistan Muslim League Quaid may join hands for fielding a joint candidate for Punjab Assembly’s constituency PP-23 (Chakwal), which fell vacant last month due to the demise of PML-N’s Malik Zahoor Awan. The by-polls are scheduled for April 18.

PML-Q sources told Dawn that PTI had approached Chaudhary Pervez Elahi to put up a joint candidate for the seat and the latter agreed in principle.

Sources said the PML-Q initially wanted the joint candidate to contest as an independent but accepted the PTI request that joint candidate should contest under the PTI election symbol.

The PP-23 falls in the Natoinal Assembly constituency of NA-61 where PML-Q has large following. Though Pervez Elahi lost this seat (NA-61) in 2013 general election to the PML-N but he secured 98,414 votes.

Moreover, in 2013 election PML-Q’s Sardar Amjad Ilyas Kotehra was runners-up with 46,231 votes against PML-N’s Malik Zahoor Awan who obtained 54,949 votes whereas PTI’s Surkhru Awan had stood third with 23,578 votes.

Published in Dawn, March 13th, 2017