MUZAFFARGARH: The Awami Raj, a party of MNA Jamshed Ahmad Dasti, says it may merge with the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf otherwise the candidates will contest on the symbol of broom.

Dasti claims that the local PTI leaders asked him to merge his party with the PTI but he prefers to go solo.

The PTI leaders, on the other hand, claim that Dasti requested them to accommodate his candidates while awarding tickets otherwise he will not go for the merger.

PTI district president Nawabzada Mohammad Ahmad Khan said the party had decided to award tickets to one MNA and one MPA.

Chaudhry Amir Karamat, a local leader of the Awami Raj, said Dasti and other candidates would contest election on three NA seats and some PA seats on the party symbol.

Rana Akhtar Hussain Noon, a chairman of Budh Union Council, said negotiations were still going on between the two parties. He said Rana Mahboob Akhtar, general secretary of the Awami Raj, and PTI’s Ishaq Khakwani would discuss the matter shortly.

Dasti’s group won three seats in the last general election -- two NA seats and a provincial one. He announced his party in 2016.

RAMAZAN BAZAARS: The district government has set up eight Ramazan bazaars, six Sunday bazaars and 20 ‘dastarkhwan’ to facilitate people in the holy month.

Deputy Commissioner Saif Anwar Jappa said on Thursday 40 shopkeepers would provide daily-use kitchen items at these bazaars at subsidised rates.

He said the district had 11 flour mills, one ghee mill and three sugar mills and there would be no shortage of flour, ghee and sugar. A special monitoring team will check these facilities.

Meanwhile, there are complaints that Muzaffargarh’s 80pc population lives in rural areas and small towns but these facilities are only set up in Muzaffargarh, Alipur and Jatoi. The deputy commissioner says he will try to arrange some mobile sale points for small towns.

Published in Dawn, May 18th, 2018