Could Chaudhry Nisar's sidelining from the PML-N and tiffs with various party leaders have soured matters to the extent that he may not even be applying for a party ticket for the polls?

Although the PML-N heavyweight said he would run from NA-59 and NA-63, he has yet to receive a party ticket ─ in fact, PML-N's own Sardar Mumtaz Khan his filed papers to run against Nisar in NA-63.

It is the first time in 30 years that a candidate within the PML-N will be opposing Nisar in the constituency.

Yesterday, Pervaiz Rashid said that only those who have formally applied for a ticket and appeared before a parliamentary board would receive tickets.

"All top leaders irrespective of their party offices, including party supremo Nawaz Sharif when he was qualified to contest polls, have been and are following the formal procedure and appearing before the parliamentary board to qualify for the party ticket."

But Nisar hasn't applied for a ticket yet.

The estranged PML-N leader has in the past said that he's never asked for a party ticket in his 35-year political career and doesn't intend to do so in the future.

Apparently, Shahbaz and his younger son, Salman, also visited Nisar yesterday to make a last-ditch effort at convince him to adopt the formal procedure for getting a party ticket.

Interviews for Rawalpindi candidates will begin tomorrow. Will Nisar be among them? We'll have to wait and see.

Interesting that Nisar doesn't want to "ask" for a ticket, considering party bigwigs are shown fulfilling this formality for the camera. Here's a video of Shahbaz appearing before the parliamentary board for a ticket.