CHAKWAL: The unannounced alliance between Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) and PML-Q in NA-65 in Chakwal and PP-24 may be met with severe resistance from within the PTI.

The party’s district president, Sardar Mansoor Hayat Tamman has also warned that PTI voters will not accept an “outsider” in the constituency.

NA-65 and its sub-constituency PP-24 consist of Talagang and Lewa tehsils of the Chakwal district.

Though PTI is yet to announce an alliance with PML-Q in various constituencies, sources told Dawn that the party will not field candidates in the few constituencies where PML-Q has potential candidates.

NA-65 and PP-24 are one of the few constituencies where PTI will reportedly support PML-Q’s candidates instead of fielding its own. Like many other constituencies, the party did not announce its proposed candidates on June 8 in these constituencies either.

NA-65 and PP-24 are some of the constituencies where PTI may support PML-Q candidates

According to sources, Sardar Ghulam Abbas, who recently rejoined PTI, played a vital role in striking a deal between PML-Q and PTI for NA-65 and PP-24. One source said a meeting in this regard was held at the residence of Jahangir Khan Tareen in Islamabad which was also attended by Chaudhry Pervez Elahi.

Mr Elahi will reportedly contest from NA-65 and either Sardar Amjad Iliyas, Hafiz Ammar Yasin or Malik Asad of the PML-Q will be chosen for PP-24.

“I was surprised to hear that Pervez Elahi is going to be a joint candidate of both parties because my party had made a commitment to me,” Sardar Tamman said in a video message uploaded on his Facebook page.

He said the news had generated strong backlash in the constituencies and that his “friends will protest the decision”. He said he will gather party workers and will discuss with them whether representation of the constituency should be given to Mr Elahi, who he said has nothing to do with that constituency.

“Despite being an MNA for the last five years, he did not visit here even once nor has he maintained any contact with the people here. He was chief minister and then deputy prime minister, but he did not give this constituency a single development project,” Mr Tamman added.

“Today we are in a position to contest the elections on our own in a much better way. We do not need an outsider,” he said in the video message, adding that the decision of his friends and party workers will be conveyed to the party leadership.

“We are waiting for the party’s final decision,” he said.

Mr Tamman was elected twice as MNA from PML-N and has been part of all major political parties.

Many development projects were carried out in Chakwal when Mr Elahi was Punjab chief minister in Musharraf’s tenure.

The district nazim at the time, Sardar Ghulam Abbas was close to Mr Elahi and Pervez Musharraf and Mr Elahi’s son Rasikh Elahi was a close friend of Hafiz Ammar Yasin, a businessman in Talagang who was close to the Chaudhrys.

Chaudhry Pervez Elahi contested the elections from this constituency in 2008 and lost by just 500 votes to PML-N’s Sardar Faiz Tamman. Sardar Mansoor Hayat Tamman had contested the elections on the PPP ticket.

Mr Elahi contested the 2013 general elections from this constituency as well which Mr Tamman was fighting on the PTI ticket.

However, the real contest was between Mr Elahi and PML-N’s Sardar Mumtaz Tamman, who defeated Mr Elahi again by 14,900 votes. In the 2013 elections, PML-Q had supported Sardar Faiz Tamman.

This time, Faiz Tamman will be contesting as an independent candidate.

“As the constituency is a stronghold of PML-N, the PTI leadership thinks it can only win via an alliance with PML-Q,” a PTI leader said, warning of rebellion from Sardar Mansoor Tamman.

“If he rebels, he will cost Pervez Elahi some 25,000 or 30,000 votes which will help PML-N. The best option for both parties will be for Sardar Mansoor to contest for NA-65 and Hafiz Ammar Yasin for PP-24,” he said.

Published in Dawn, June 14th, 2018