SARGODHA: Malik Tahir Sarfraz Awan, the former bureaucrat, husband of former MNA Sumaira Malik and a nephew of former MNA Malik Muhammad Naeem Awan, has announced to contest the election from NA-87 Khushab as an independent candidate.

According to political analysts, Tahir’s decision to contest the election had given a new life to his group as Sumaira had withdrawn her decision to contest the election. However, she appealed to her voters to vote against PML-N nominee Malik Shakir Bashir Awan and Malik Asif Bha, a nominee of the party from PP-81.

It will be not out of place to mention that in the 2018 election, Umar Aslam Awan, the nominee of the PTI, had given a tough time to Malik Shakir Bashir Awan; however, his younger brother Malik Hassan Aslam, a nominee of the PTI, had defeated the PML-N nominee.

Though Sumaira’s husband is in the field as an independent against his cousin Malik Umar Aslam of the PTI nominee, but internally they favour Malik Umar to give a message to the PML-N that they have influence in the area.

Published in Dawn, January 14th, 2024