LAHORE, Sept 30: The PML-N and two constituents of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal —- the Jamaat-i-Islami and the JUI-F —- have failed to reach an agreement on joint candidates for NA-118 and PP-150, leaving the seats open to all.

The PML-N that had desperately been looking for a strong candidate to pitch against PML-QA president Mian Azhar in NA-118 wanted to field JI’s Hafiz Salman Butt under adjustments made by the League and the JI on three National and six Punjab Assemblies seats.

But the MMA had granted its ticket to JUI-F’s Hafiz Abdul Wadood for the constituency and the party wanted the PML-N to retire its nominee Mehr Ishtiaq Ahmad in favour of Maulana Mohibbun Nabi from PP-150 instead of retiring Hafiz Wadood to clear way for Mr Butt in NA-118.

The PML-N said that it would do so only if all the MMA nominees from Lahore district contesting from the constituencies other than those for which adjustments had been made would retire in favour of its candidates.

The JI desired to convene a meeting of the MMA to settle the issue in the emerging scenario but the JUI-F refused to further discuss the issue.

The JUI-F information secretary told Dawn by phone that his party did not want to waste more time in dialogue and was preferring to focus on electioneering of its candidates in different Lahore constituencies.

He said that the local JI leadership had backed out of its promise that Mr Butt would retire by Sept 30 in case the JUI-ML conflict over PP-150 was not settled.

He announced that his party would work against JI nominees in Lahore district “and they will feel the damage cause to them within few days.”

“The opposition is not being taken to the other areas in the better interest of the MMA.”

PPP allegation: The PPP candidate in NA-121 (Lahore), Aurangzeb Burki, alleged on Monday that a corner meeting organized by him in his constituency on Sunday night had been attacked by the PML-QA activists as a result of which some people sustained injuries.

At a news conference, he said the police also refused to register a case.

Mr Burki said if the unenviable tradition of attacking rivals’ meeting was not discouraged, election atmosphere might be vitiated.