MUZAFFARGARH: Like in many other places, the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) on Friday withdrew the tickets it awarded to three former PML-N MPAs who joined the party after the merger of the Suba Mahaz Tehreek.

Mian Alamdar Abbas Qureshi, Malik Murtaza Raheem Khar and Mian Zeeshan Gurmani joined the organisation meant for campaigning for an independent province and it merged with the PTI on the assurance that tickets would be awarded to them. They had their houses/outhouses decorated with pictures of Imran Khan.

A lot of disappointment was in store for them when they learnt on Friday that none of them had been given ticket for the election. They immediately removed the pictures of the PTI leader.

The PTI leadership awarded tickets to Ms Nosheen Qalandrani, wife of Sardar Arshad Khan Qalandrani, instead of Mian Alamdar Abbas Qureshi for PP-277, Sardar Niaz Khan Gishkori instead of Mian Zeeshan Gurmani for PP-278 and Syed Muzaffar Abbas Bokhari instead of Malik Murtaza Raheem Khar for PP-269.

Zehra Basit Sultan Bokhari, wife of Makhdoom Basit Sultan Bokhari, is the only member of the Suba Mahaz Tehreek who has got the PTI ticket.

The three MPAs jumped on the bandwagon of the province demand and a few days later joined hands with the PTI. They were later invited to Bani Gala and assured that they would be given tickets for key constituencies. As the situation became clear on Friday, the politicians removed the pictures of the PTI leaders and blamed Shah Mahmood Qureshi for it.

Sources said these legislators were among those who voted for Chaudhry Sarwar to help him win a Senate seat. They will now contest as independent candidates.

In another unexpected move, the PTI has awarded PP-270 ticket to Ms Mehnaz Saeed after withdrawing it from Sajid Qureshi.

Meanwhile, the PML-N candidate for NA-182 Malik Qasim Hinjra returned the ticket to his leadership and the party awarded ticket to Hammad Nawaz Tippu.

Published in Dawn, June 30th, 2018