LAHORE: The PML-N parliamentary board on Monday conducted interviews of possible candidates for constituencies in Lahore, Rawalpindi and Sargodha divisions.

PML-N President Shahbaz Sharif presided over the meeting at the party’s Model Town Secretariat. Former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi was also present.

Maverick PML-N leader and former interior minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan did not appear before the board. “Mr Nisar did not even apply for a PML-N ticket,” a party insider said.

He said for the 14 National Assembly seats in Lahore, 68 applications had been received and for 30 provincial seats 458 candidates had applied for party tickets. “The board only interviewed the shortlisted candidates,” the insider said.

It was the second board meeting in Lahore. Nawaz Sharif had attended the previous one on Saturday.

The insider further said Maryam Nawaz would likely contest from NA-125 (previously NA-120 from where her mother had won the by-poll) and PP-149. He said the board was likely to finalise nine of the 11 PML-N leaders who got elected as MNAs from Lahore in the 2013 elections. these included Shahbaz Sharif, Hamza Shahbaz, Sheikh Rohail Asghar, Khwaja Saad Rafique, Afzal Khokhar, Malik Riaz, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, Pervaiz Malik and Meher Ishtiaq.

“Sohail Shaukat Butt and Mian Waheed Alam Khan will have to fight for a ticket this time,” he added.

Published in Dawn, June 5th, 2018