LAHORE/FAISALABAD, Dec 26: The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) suffered a setback in Faisalabad after the Pakistan Muslim League-Q won over its candidate for NA-78, Peerzada Ashraf Zia.

PML-Q’s Punjab President Pervaiz Elahi announced here on Wednesday that Zia had joined the erstwhile ruling party after seeing its ‘popularity’. He asked PML-N ticket holders to return their tickets and come back to the ‘genuine’ party, the PML-Q. He said Zia’s presence in the PML-Q would strengthen the party in Faisalabad.

Speaking on the occasion, Zia said he returned the PML-N ticket and joined the PML-Q after seeing the development work undertaken by the recently dissolved government.

Zia contested the 2002 general election from the same constituency from the PML-N platform and got 42,000 votes.

Now, there is a one-to-one competition between Pakistan People’s Party’s (PPP) Rahila Perveen Baloch and PML-Q’s Rajab Ali Baloch. It is Perveen Baloch’s first election, while Ali Baloch has already served as member of the National Assembly. Though the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) has fielded Malik Amin Wattoo in this constituency, Perveen Baloch and Ali Baloch remain the key players.

Ali Baloch won the last general election by bagging 57,701 votes, while Zia was the runner up with 41,026 votes. It was Zia’s first election for a National Assembly seat.

Though Perveen Baloch, the daughter of former MNA Shehadat Baloch, is vying for this seat for the first time, she has the support of her father and other Baloch elders.

Zia could have taken advantage of the division in the Baloch biradari, but he retired in Ali Baloch’s favour.

Local political observers say Zia was in a weaker position because he had no contact with his voters and supporters after the 2002 general election. This is the reason he retired in favour of the PML-Q candidate.

However, PML-N district and city presidents were unaware of Zia’s retirement in Ali Baloch’s favour.