SWABI, Jan 11: PML-Q provincial president Amir Muqam has criticised party’s Swabi leaders who, it is learnt, have refused to contest the elections on party tickets.

Sources said that Swabi District Nazim Shahram Khan’s two uncles — Usman Khan Tarakai and Javid Iqbal Tarakai — are contesting for National Assembly and provincial assembly seats from the Swabi Jamhoori Ittehad (SJI) platform, instead of PML-Q.

The SJI was formed for the district nazim election in 2005.

Son of late Sher Zaman Sher, Asad Zaman, another key leader of the PML-Q, is contesting the election as an independent candidate. Only two candidates -- Sajjad Khan from PF-35 (Swabi-V) and Sher Ali Khan Jadoon from PF-36 (Swabi-IV) -- are contesting the elections on PML-Q tickets. For the remaining four provincial assembly and two National Assembly seats, none of the PML-Q leaders was ready to contest the polls on party tickets because of its previous ‘track record’.

“The environment during the PML-Q government was different. After the announcement of elections, arrival of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and end of the Q League government, scenario is now completely different,” said a diehard Q leaguer, requesting anonymity.

The sources said Sajjad Khan wanted to contest the elections as independent candidate, but after an intervention by the party’s central and provincial leadership, he ‘reluctantly’ agreed to contest on the PML-Q ticket.

However, his posters and banners only carry the name of Pakistan Muslim League, instead of the PML-Q, which shows that he is still unhappy with the party.

Mr Sajjad’s supporters it is learnt told him that his biggest weak point was that he was contesting from a party which was no longer popular among the masses owing to its previous role.

However, despite all that he is still a strong candidate against former NWFP education minister and JUI-F leader Maulana Fazal Ali because of his popularity and influence.

Sher Ali Jadoon was nephew of Ghaffoor Khan Jadoon. Mr Ghaffoor’s family has no place in the PML-N after he turned approver against former NWFP Chief Minister Sardar Mehtab Khan in a wheat scandal case.

He has no option but to contest on the PML-Q ticket.